Bleach: Twilight of Souls
by Minielf
Summary: Captain Kurosaki Ichigo leads a team of elite Shinigami on a mission to the depths of Hell to rescue his son Kaien, who has been abducted by a new enemy intent on resurrecting an ancient demon king. Set twenty years after Bleach: After the War.
1. Chapter 1: Abduction

**Bleach: Twilight of Souls**

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a Fanstory and only OCs that I have created belong to me.

Bleach Twilight of Souls is a continuation of the plot line begun in After the War and continued in the New Order Trilogy, but it is not necessary to have read the previous works to enjoy this story.

I hope fans of my previous stories will enjoy this work

* * *

Chapter 1: Abduction

_Soul Society Year 2040, November 1__st__. Somewhere in Eastern Rukongai_

In a dank and dark cellar deep underground, two mysterious individuals met. One wore a robe with a flowing cape at the back whilst the other wore a Shihakusho. The cellar was guided by half a dozen goons wearing suits of armour.

"Are the preparations ready?" the first voice spoke.

"Almost. I just need a little more time," the second voice answered.

"What is taking so long? I am close to losing my patience."

"We've had problems dealing with a certain person-the man known as Kurosaki Ichigo. He's foiled several of our operations."

"Then deal with him as you see fit. If Aizen Sousuke had carried out his mission properly, we could carried out the Twilight project much earlier."

"Aizen was a failure. He was too motivated by his own greed to follow our orders. Which is why I decided to take matters in my own hands."

"Very well then. I shall be going now. Inform me when you are ready to begin." With that the first individual suddenly disappeared, leaving the second by himself.

"Heh, heh, heh, watch out Kurosaki Ichigo. Your days are numbered," the man laughed sinisterly. He motioned the goons to follow him upstairs. Unbeknownst to either him or the first individual, the meeting had been secretly watched by a third mysterious figure, who was wrapped up in nothing but a black cloak.

* * *

_Shiba Manor, Seireitei_

At this very moment Kurosaki Ichigo was tossing and squirming in his sleep. As he did so, he started mumbling words subconsciously. For as he slept he started seeing images and visions that greatly disturbed him…

_"Otoo-san!" Kaien called out as he was dragged by a pair of hands through a dark red portal. Ichigo could only watch helplessly as he son disappeared once again._

_"Kaien!!"_ _He screamed in vain, for there was nothing he could do…_

_The vision blurred and now Ichigo saw himself standing on a plateau in Nishi Rukongai, looking out over what should have been Seireitei. Where Seireitei used to be, there was nothing left except a vast black abyss hundreds of miles wide…_

_The vision changed again and Ichigo found himself in the middle of a devastated Tokyo City. All around there nothing left except piles of rubble and concrete. Fires burst out from every direction. It was like the end of the world._

_"This can't happening," Ichigo said to himself. "This has to be a nightmare." His eyes noticed a figure lying on the ground, trapped under a collapsed girder. His eyes widened in horror, for the person was someone he cherished and loved._

_"Rukia!" he yelled as he ran by her side. He took told hold of her arms._

_"Don't you die on me Rukia," Ichigo said to her. Rukia weakly opened her eyes and looked at him. She barely managed a smile._

_"I'm sorry Ichigo, this looks like the end for me. My heart will live on in you," she said. _

_"No, Rukia, you can't die like this. I haven't apologized for all the pain and suffering I've caused you." _

_"It's alright. I'm not angry at you." Ichigo watched helplessly as Rukia's life slipped away. The last image Ichigo saw was hooded phantom towering over him, its face a hideous reflection of his hollow mask. _

"NOOO!!!!" Ichigo suddenly screamed as he woke up. It took him nearly a minute before he realized he was still inside his house. He frantically looked around to make sure that nothing happened. His body continued to tremble.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked as she half opened eyes. Ichigo was so surprised by her voice that he nearly jumped out of the bed. It took him a while before he could calm down.

"What's the matter with you? You're shaking and sweating all over," Rukia rubbed her hands along Ichigo's back.

"I, I saw some horrible visions in my sleep. Visions so utterly terrified me," Ichigo replied. He told Rukia what he had seen.

"It's probably just a nightmare Ichigo. You've been really stressed out for the last couple of weeks," Rukia said.

"Yeah I guess so." Ichigo lay back on his bed again, wondering if the visions he saw were really only nightmares.

The next morning Ichigo and Rukia both woke up with a horrible headache. The two of them took their time to get changed. As Ichigo walked downstairs to the kitchen, he smelt the aroma of boiling coffee. On arriving at the kitchen he saw that his daughter Masaki was already up and about.

"Hi daddy. I'm just getting the breakfast ready," Masaki said.

"Thank you sweetheart," Ichigo kissed her on the cheek. He was immensely proud of his daughter. She was the striking image of Ichigo's own mother, but had inherited much of Rukia's regal looks. Despite being still a child, she was already acting like an adult in some ways. She was eager to do the household chores and regularly cooked meals and cleaned the house whenever Ichigo or Rukia were absent. In some respects her personality was similar to Ichigo's sister Yuzu.

"Hey Ichigo, have you seen Kaien?" Rukia asked she walked down the stairs. "I went to check on his bedroom and his wasn't there."

"I haven't seen him either," Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, I know where Onii-chan is!" Masaki exclaimed. "He woke me up early in the morning and said that he was going hop over to Ojii-san's place."

"WHAT?" Ichigo and Rukia asked in shock.

"What that rascal…I told him not to run out by himself!" Rukia exclaimed.

"It's going to be difficult to find him, considering how huge Seireitei is," Ichigo pondered.

Just as Ichigo and Rukia were discussing his disappearance, Kurosaki Kaien was perched on the edge of a column hundreds of feet above the ground. From this high vantage point, he could see almost half of Soul Society.

"Tee hee. There's Ojii-san's place," Kaien smiled. With a fluid movement Kaien leaped from the column and swooped down to the roof top below. A few random Shinigami who were patrolling nearby saw him and gasped in shock. Kaien ignored them and continued along his merry way.

Traversing through Seireitei like this was Kaien's favourite pastime. He loved the smell of adventure, of discovering new and interesting places. Even though he knew his mother and father would scold him heavily every time, he always sought a way to escape the house, and in doing so had become skilled at climbing walls and jumping off buildings. His mother always told him he possessed a reckless streak similar to a man she once admired but Kaien thought she was simply delusional.

"Alright I'm here!" Kaien exclaimed as he landed in the garden outside the thirteenth division captain's office. To his great luck the garden was deserted at the moment. The young boy crept towards the window directly overlooking the captain's desk. He jumped onto the railing, opened the window and peered inside. His grandfather Isshin was currently lying on his chair with a cigar in his mouth.

"Heh, heh, this is perfect. I'll scare the wits out of him," Kaien thought. He made a great leap from the window and landed on his grandfather's lap. Isshin woke up screaming in pain.

"What the…" Isshin said groggily. "Kaien-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you Ojii-san!" Kaien smiled.

"This early in the morning? I think most of Soul Society is still asleep," Isshin muttered. "What about your mother and father? Do they know you've come to see me?"

"Nope. I snuck out on them!" Kaien's response hardly surprised Isshin, for he had grown used to his grandson's mischievous behaviour.

"I wonder what I'm going to tell Ichigo and Rukia-chan," Isshin sighed.

"Where's Yuzu and Karin Oba-san?" Kaien asked.

"Ah, they're still on duty in the real world I'm afraid.

"That sucks! I wanted to see them!" Isshin chuckled as Kaien jumped off his lap and landed on the floor. Just then the door to the office opened and Lieutenant Sarugaki Hiyori appeared.

"Who the hell is this shorty?" Hiyori asked

"Are you calling me a shorty? You're barely taller than me!" Kaien barked back.

"Why you little!" Hiyori, now enraged, chased after Kaien, but leaped out of the window before she could even get near him.

"Nyah, nyah you can't catch me," Kaien stuck his tongue out at Hiyori before he disappeared from the window.

"Gah, I'll get that little runt one day!" Hiyori yelled in frustration. Isshin was still laughing at the whole scene.

"What should I do now?" Kaien asked himself as he jumped along the roofs of buildings. "I don't want to go back home…I know, I'll drop by Shunsui's place!" He turned left and headed towards the Kuchiki manor.

"Good morning Kurosaki Taicho!" the Shinigami waiting at the front gates of the fifth division barracks greeted Ichigo and Rukia as they arrived for to begin their shift.

"Morning," Ichigo responded. He and Rukia walked through the various courtyards of the barracks, greeting their subordinates as they passed. On arriving at the captain's office, Ichigo was greeted by fourth seat Minazawa, fifth seat Mariko and sixth seat Tanaka. All three long serving officers had happily accepted a demotion in rank to allow Shibata Yuichi to rise to third seat status.

"Has anything new happened Minazawa?" Ichigo asked as he and Rukia entered the office.

"Yes Taicho," Minazawa nodded. "We've got four people who want to transfer to another division. There's also a stack of complaints from several noble families about their children's results."

"I guess it's pretty routine stuff," Ichigo said.

"Oh wait, there's something else I forgot to tell you. The President has sent you a letter ordering you to overturn his son's delisting from the Gotei 13."

"Priam's still prattling on about that? He should be lucky that his son wasn't sent to the Maggot's Nest after what he did. Oh well, tell him that I'll consider overturning the decision." Minazawa nodded and calmly exited the office.

"Ichigo, what are we going to do about Kaien?" Rukia asked. "He's going to run into trouble if we don't find him."

"What do you want me to do? You said you were going to deal with him," Ichigo replied.

"Fine then!" Rukia sulked. She motioned for Mariko to stand beside her.

"Is there something you want me to do, Kuchiki Fukutaicho?" Mariko asked.

"I want you to run a message to the second division ordering them to send a search party out for my son Kurosaki Kaien. If they find him, tell them to bring them here as soon as possible." Mariko nodded and she and Tanaka quickly left the office. Ichigo and Rukia started their morning work whilst hoping that Kaien would be found soon.

"Heh, heh, getting in was easier that I thought," Kaien said to himself as he crouched on a roof overlooking a twenty metre outdoor pool in one of the Kuchiki Manor's largest gardens. The pool had been a recent addition to the manor grounds, built on the orders of Kuchiki Byakuya for the sake of his son Shunsui. In Kaien's view, Shunsui was a spoilt rich brat who, despite being nearly a year younger, acted like he was far older and more superior than Kaien himself. Kaien loved playing practical jokes on him just to bring his ego down to size.

"Oh my god, he's eating a chocolate parfait," Kaien gasped as he saw Shunsui reclining on an outdoor deck chair. He was being tended to by two household servants.

"Fetch my sunglasses for me," Shunsui said.

"But master, the sun isn't shining bright today," one of the servants protested.

"I don't care! Do you dare disobey the orders of your superior? Don't forget I am the Heir to the Kuchiki Clan!" Shunsui's voice was so frightening that both servants scurried off to get his sunglasses without a second thought.

"Geez, he's such a prick," Kaien thought to himself as he perched on the wall overlooking the pool. With a mighty leap Kaien belly flopped into the water, causing an enormous splash that reached higher than the manor's roof. Then with the inevitable pull of gravity the water came crashing back down. Part it landed on an utterly gob-smacked Shunsui. Not only was he completely soaked but the splash caused his parfait to spill onto his hakama. Still trying to comprehend what had just happened, Shunsui gasped further in astonishment when a drenched Kaien hopped out of the pool and shouted "Howdy!"

"What the hell are you doing in my private garden?" Shunsui asked.

"I just dropped by to say hi to you," Kaien grinned.

"Do you know what you've done? Not only have you trespassed my family's property, but you've damaged the swimming pool, plus you've ruined my best hakama!" Kaien glanced at the white blob on Shunsui's pants and then turned around saw a section of the pool's side had cracked from the pressure of his splash.

"Oops, sorry about that," Kaien said.

"On the pride of the Kuchiki clan, I will make you pay for this!" Shunsui exclaimed.

"Let's see you try!" Kaien stuck out his tongue at Shunsui before turning around and jumping onto the wall again. "Come and catch me if you can!"

"So it's a foot race then. I will show the unparalleled speed of the Kuchikis, Shiba brat!" Shunsui called out. He Shunpo-ed onto the wall and chased after Kaien. Just then his two servants rushed into the garden carrying his sunglasses.

"Um, master, where have you gone?" One of the servants asked.

"Come back here!" Shunsui shouted.

"Nyah, nyah!" Kaien teased him again. The two boys jumped and occasionally Shunpo-ed across dozens of roof tops, taking them far away from the Kuchiki Manor. Shunsui started gaining ground on Kaien and eventually closed the gap to less than a pace between them.

"I'm faster than you!" Shunsui exclaimed. He accelerated his pace.

"Oh yeah?" Kaien asked. He also increased his pace, but in doing so he failed to keep track his surroundings. Without warning he ran straight into a column.

"Serves you right. I am faster than you!" Shunsui gloated. A second later he too smashed into something-except this time it was something squishy. It took him nearly a minute to realize his face was now squashed between a pair of enormous breasts.

"Why hello there, Shunsui-kun," Shihouin Yoruichi spoke to him a patronizing voice. "I hope you enjoyed feeling my boobs." Shunsui quickly ejected himself out of the sticky situation. His face was now bright red. Yoruichi Shunpo-ed to where Kaien was and plucked him by the legs.

"Looks like you two boys are in for a lot of trouble," she smiled.

"What do you mean?" Shunsui asked. "Kaien was the one who started it!"

"You've caused a commotion too, Shunsui-kun. You may return home now, but I shall send a message to your father." Shunsui gritted his teeth.

"I'll get you back, cat woman!" he mouthed at her before heading the other way.

"As for you, young man, you've sure caused a headache for your mum and dad," Yoruichi stared at Kaien. "Wait till I tell them what you've been up to."

A few hours later, Kaien was back at home eating dinner with his family, but his right cheek was now swollen courtesy of a slap from his mother.

"Next time you run away like that again I'll lock you inside your room for a day," Rukia scolded her son.

"Now, now Rukia, we can't be so hard on him," Ichigo laughed.

"He's nearly twenty. He should have learnt some responsibility by now, just like his sister."

"Kaien's not like Masaki you know. He's got the same wild streak that I used to have. Besides, he's still physically a child." Kaien sulked as he watched his mother and father argue over him. On the other side of the table he could see his sister happily eating a bowl of rice and fish.

"Why can't I enroll in the Academy Otoo-san?" Kaien asked his father. "I'm sick and bored of staying in the house all day."

"Your spiritual pressure hasn't matured enough, son. Plus, your reading and writing skills aren't good enough to pass the examinations yet," Ichigo explained.

"I don't care! I just want to get away from the house. You and Oba-san never take us anywhere interesting," Kaien complained. Ichigo stared at his son, and then looked at Rukia. They both sighed. Masaki seemed oblivious to Kaien's complaints.

"Oh well, I suppose we could take you to Karakura Cho and visit the Urahara Shoten," Rukia said. "We've got a day off tomorrow." Kaien and Masaki's faces lit up at this announcement.

_Karakura City, Eastern Rukongai Districts 10-25, November 3__rd_

The metro train rolled to a stop at the station platform. The Kurosaki family, dressed in casual kimonos, walked stepped out of the train and headed up to the surface. They exited the station near the Mashiba District.

"Oba-san, I want to go to the shopping district," Masaki whined.

"We'll go there later dear. First we have to see Urahara-san," Rukia said to her daughter. The four of them walked a few hundred yards along a road until they arrived at a familiar two storey brick and timber shop.

"How long has it been since our last visit?" Ichigo asked Rukia.

"I'd imagine it to be five to six months," Rukia smiled. Ichigo knocked on the front door of the shop. A minute later the door slid open and they were greeted by a smiling Urahara Kisuke, dressed in his trademark green overcoat, slouch hat and wooden getas.

"Oh my, it's Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san," Urahara said with a happy expression. "It's good to see you again. And these must be your kids."

"Hello, Urahara-san," Kaien and Masaki greeted him.

"They're so polite," Urahara smiled. "Anyway, what brings all of you here?"

"We're just taking the children out for a stroll of Karakura Cho," Ichigo replied. "And I thought this place would be a good first stop."

"Well then, come inside all of you," Urahara said. He ushered the family into the shop. As Ichigo and Rukia proceeded to the living quarters, Kaien and Masaki took their time gazing at some of the bizarre and wonderful products that were on display. When the two kids finally ran through to the living quarters they were delighted to see Ururu and Jinta, Urahara's adopted children.

"Ururu-chan, it's so nice to see you again!" Masaki exclaimed. She rushed up to a slightly shocked Ururu and hugged her tightly.

"So you're back again squirt," Jinta glanced at Kaien. The red-haired boy, who had been playing a video game, stood up and looked at Kaien. They stared at each other for nearly a minute. Jinta was the first to crack.

"Argh, I don't believe it. You've gotten taller than me!" Jinta screamed out.

"Maybe you just haven't grown," Kaien teased him. Ichigo and Rukia watched the children's antics with amusement as they sat down at the round coffee table beside Urahara.

"So Ichigo, what's up in Seireitei lately?" Urahara asked.

"The usual boring stuff," Ichigo replied. "Same old boring paperwork, minor squabbles with the other divisions. Oh, and the President has really gotten on my nerve a few times."

"I knew it!" Urahara chuckled. "Either he or one of his family members was bound to be elected one day. Who knew he'd give up his role in the military just to ensure he was eligible."

"Relations between the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 have become much more strained under Priam than it was when you and Ganju were in power," Rukia said.

The three of them continued chatting for some time as Kaien and Masaki played with Ururu and Jinta. Then all of a sudden a hell butterfly flew into the living room and hovered over the coffee table.

"**A group of rebels has laid siege to the Mayor's Office. Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia and Urahara Kisuke, the three of you must go and protect the mayor,**" The hell butterfly finished its transmission and flew off, leaving Ichigo, Rukia and Urahara all stunned.

"Did it tell us three mayor's office?" Ichigo asked.

"I think it said something about an attack by a group of rebels," Rukia replied.

"If Kukaku-san has requested our back-up, then we might as well help her," Urahara said. He grabbed his cane before calling Ururu and Jinta to his side.

"I have some business to attend to. Please watch over the store whilst I am away," Urahara said. Ururu and Jinta nodded.

"Kaien, Masaki, the two of you must say with Jinta and Ururu," Ichigo ordered his children.

"Alright," Kaien responded.

"Take care Otoo-san!" Masaki called out. Ichigo, Rukia and Urahara exited the shop and Shunpo-ed towards central Karakura Cho. Along the way they passed by a strange figure wearing a black hooded cloak. As he laid eyes on the figure, Ichigo wondered who he was, but he didn't have time to ponder the matter.

Within a few minutes the three of them reached the centre of Karakura Honchou and quickly located the streets around the Mayor's office. Sure enough, there was a fierce battle raging on both inside and around the building as dozens of scraggy men from Rukongai fought against the Keibi unit from the eleventh division. However the battle was almost entirely one-sided; the rag tag rebels were armed with makeshift swords, poles and axes, whilst each member of the Keibi was a fully trained Shinigami. Ichigo, Rukia and Urahara knocked out several rebels with the blunt ends of their katanas and pushed through to the front lobby of the building. They found the mayor herself, Shiba Kukaku, beating a rebel with her feet.

"Kukaku-san!" Ichigo called out.

"Oh Ichigo, I didn't expect you to show up here," Kukaku waved her left hand. "I'll just finish this guy off." She gave the man a final kick to the face, breaking his nose in a sickening crunch. Ichigo and Rukia winced.

"I see Kisuke is here as well. What brings the three of you here?" Kukaku asked.

"Uh, a hell butterfly sent us a message telling us to assist you in fighting off the rebels," Rukia replied.

"Really? I never requested any assistance. The Keibi and myself could have easily handled them all. There was no need for three captain-class people to come here."

"That's strange. If you weren't the one who sent the butterfly to us, then who did?" Ichigo asked. They pondered this puzzling situation for a while. Then Urahara had an idea.

"Ichigo-san, who is in charge of the hell butterfly network now?" Urahara asked.

"I think tenth division has the responsibility over it, but the President and the Central 46 have the authority to issue special hell butterflies."

"I thought so. It's unlikely that Hitsugaya Taicho would know about this, so those hell butterflies were probably sent by the President himself or the council."

"But why would they specifically tell the three of us to come here?" Rukia asked. Neither Urahara nor Ichigo had a clue. But something came to Kukaku's mind.

"Kisuke, did you leave someone in charge of your shop?" she asked Urahara.

"I told Jinta and Ururu to look after it," Urahara replied.

"And what about your children, Ichigo? Surely Jinta and Ururu couldn't keep an eye on them and take charge of the shop at the same time."

"My gosh you're right!" Ichigo slapped his forehead in frustration. "We really should have brought them with us."

"Well, seeing as Kukaku-san doesn't need our help, we might as well walk back," Rukia said. Ichigo and Urahara nodded.

Back at the Urahara Shoten, Ururu kept watch over the front counter, whilst Jinta, Kaien and Masaki took turns playing the video game console. As she was reading a book, Ururu noticed the front door of the shop open. She looked up to see who had come in. Her eyes widened in astonishment. It was a man with blonde hair going down to his shoulders and pale blue eyes. His face was very pale, almost whitish. But what was most distinctive about him were the clothes he was wearing. They were almost entirely white. A white doublet was paired with a white hakama, whilst around his shoulders draped a flowing white cloak. Ururu also noticed he was carrying a sword with a scabbard around his waist.

"Um, er, hello," Ururu greeted the man.

"Good morning," the man greeted Ururu in response. "May I see the manager of this store?"

"Um, the manager is away at the moment."

"I see. Can you tell me when he'll be back?" Ururu didn't know the answer to that question. She quickly called Jinta out to help her and explained the man's request.

"So you want to know when Urahara- san will be back. I'm afraid I can't tell the exact time. All I know is that he's gone with Kurosaki Taicho and Kuchiki Fukutaicho." The man's eyes flashed for a moment, before he settled down. He then browsed through the store, focusing extra attention on the shelves that had gigais and gikongans.

"Hmm, this one seems interesting," the man laid his hands on a small brown ball labelled 'Portable gigai'. "May I have one of these?" Ururu and Jinta realized he was holding Urahara's latest gigai model, which could block out the reiatsu of a Shinigami.

"Uh I think we've got a few of them in storage," Jinta replied. "Please wait here whilst we search for them." Jinta and Ururu went to the storage room and climbed down a set of stairs to the secret storage area, where copies of the latest inventions were kept. Neither of them was aware that the man had walked out of the shop as soon as they out of sight.

Meanwhile, Kaien and Masaki were still in the living room. Kaien continued playing the video game console, whilst Masaki was now flicking through Ururu's books.

"This is so boring. When are Otoo-san and Oka-san going to get back?" Masaki asked.

"Why do you care Nee-chan? We've got more freedom when they're not around," Kaien said. "I bet they'll take us to some boring plus after this."

"Whatever Onii-chan," Masaki brushed off Kaien's comment. She was about to fetch another book when a large black portal appeared in the middle of the living room without warning. The portal crushed the coffee table and created a crack in the floor. Masaki's eyes widened when she saw a man emerge from the portal. He wore the strangest clothes she had ever seen, and had a face so pale that to Masaki it seemed like he was a vampire.

"Hello there little girl," the man spoke to Masaki with a strange accent that was almost incomprehensible. Masaki was too frightened to say a word. But then she saw the man's eyes flash at Kaien, who so caught up in a video game that he was oblivious to the man's presence.

"Onii-chan, behind you!" Masaki called out. Kaien finally turned around and noticed the stranger standing behind him. He threw down the controller in his hands and stood up.

"Who the hell are you?" Kaien demanded. "What do you want?"

"You are Kurosaki Kaien, are you not?" the man asked. Kaien froze in shock.

"How, how do you know my name?" The man sniggered.

"I have no need to tell you. All you need to know is that you're coming with me."

"Just try and get me!" Kaien clenched both of his fists and attempted to channel his latent spirit energy, but the man pointed his right hand at him and a second later Kaien's body froze up.

"What, what is happening to me body?" Kaien asked. Before he could get a response and man Shunpo-ed behind Kaien and karate chopped his neck. Kaien was instantly knocked unconscious and the man hauled his limp body over his shoulder.

"Stop it you meanie!" Masaki screamed. She charged at the man without thinking but her effort was futile, for the man knocked her against her wall with a single push of his hand. The last image Masaki saw before blacking out was the man walking stepping through the portal with Kaien and vanishing into thin air.

At this moment Ururu and Jinta rushed out to the front of the store, having found a spare copy of the latest gigai model. They froze in their tracks, for the man was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell? He's gone!!" Jinta exclaimed. "Where the heck did he go?" Ururu suddenly sensed a surge of reiatsu coming from the living room and motioned Jinta to follow her. They rushed into the living room and found the place completely trashed. The coffee table was crushed, there was a huge crack along the floor and Masaki was slumped against a stack of books. But worst of all, there was no sign of Kurosaki Kaien.

* * *

Character descrptions and synopsis:

Kurosaki Ichigo: After losing his physical body in the final war against Aizen, Ichigo has become a full time Shinigami, and has assumed the roles of Captain of 5th division and the Head of the Shinigami Academy.

Kuchiki Rukia: Rukia married Ichigo after the war against Aizen was finished. She has also become the Lieutenant of 5th division.

Kurosaki Kaien: Ichigo and Rukia's son. He's named after and resembles the deceased 13th division Lieutenant Shiba Kaien.

Kurosaki Masaki: Ichigo and Rukia's daughter. She's named after Ichigo's deceased mother.

Kurosaki (Shiba) Isshin: Ichigo's father. Formerly a Royal Guard, Isshin's exploits in the war against Aizen allowed him to be re-enlisted in the Gotei 13. He is now the captain of the 13th division.

Urahara Kisuke: Urahara became the President of Seireitei and head of the Central 46 after the war against Aizen. He later served as mayor of Karakura Cho. Now he's resumed the role of a 'humble' entrepeneur.

Sarugaki Hiyori: The Lieutenant of 13th division. Like Isshin, Hiyori was re-enlisted in the Gotei 13 after the war against Aizen.

Shihouin Yoruichi: Yoruichi lost her left arm in the war against Aizen, as well a great deal of her former strength. She is now the Lieutenant of 2nd division, serving under Soifon.

Shiba Kukaku: She is the current mayor of Karakura Cho.

Jinta and Ururu: Urahara's adopted children. They continue to help him run the shop.

Kuchiki Shunsui: The son of Byakuya and Nanao. He is named after the former captain of 8th division, Kyoraku Shunsui.


	2. Chapter 2: The Search for Kaien

**Bleach: Twilight of Souls**

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a Fanstory and only OCs that I have created belong to me.

Bleach Twilight of Souls is a continuation of the plot line begun in After the War and continued in the New Order Trilogy, but it is not necessary to have read the previous works to enjoy this story.

NB: I apologize if these first two chapters seem boring. The story will picky up in the next few chapters.

* * *

Chapter 2: The Search for Kaien

"Don't you think it's strange that someone purposely sent a hell butterfly to us, and requested Urahara to come along?" Rukia asked Ichigo. She, Ichigo and Urahara were heading back to the Urahara Shoten

"Indeed it is peculiar. Hell butterflies are rarely sent beyond the confines of Seireitei, and even rarer are they directed to individual people. If someone wanted us to attend to Kukaku-san, they could have called us on our pagers."

"Assuming what Kukaku said was true, then whoever sent us the hell butterfly must have wanted the three of us out of the Shoten. I can only imagine why anyone would have wanted to do so." Ichigo pondered Urahara's proposition, but a thought suddenly flashed through Rukia's mind.

"Wait a minute; whoever sent us the hell butterfly must have known we were in Karakura Cho, and that we came to see Urahara. That would mean they also know that we brought Kaien and Masaki," Rukia said.

"What are you implying Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

"If they purposely lured us away using a fake hell butterfly, then-Ichigo, Kaien and Masaki might be in danger!" Ichigo suddenly came to the same realization as Rukia.

"Holy shit you're right! Let's go back as fast as possible." The three of them Shunpo-ed at their fastest speeds, covering the two kilometres to the Urahara Shoten in a minute. When they entered the shop, it was clear something had happened. Ururu and Jinta rushed out to greet them. Their faces bore expressions of panic and despair.

"Urahara-san, there's big trouble!" Ururu exclaimed.

"A weird man came in and kidnapped Kaien!" Jinta shouted?

"What?" Ichigo asked. He had no time to react before Rukia shoved him and Jinta aside and ran into the living room.

"Kaien!!" Rukia shouted. Nothing could have prepared her for the scene in front of her. The living room was a wreck and Kaien was nowhere to be found. Rukia found Masaki sobbing frantically under a pile of books. She helped her daughter to her feet and tried to calm her down.

"Whaaaa!!! Oni-chan's gone!!" Masaki cried.

"It's okay Masaki. Mummy's here for you. Speak slowly and tell me what happened," Rukia said. With Ichigo and Urahara listening intently, Masaki, Ururu and Jinta did their best to recount what happened.

"So a mysterious man dressed in a white Shihakusho comes in through some sort of portal, knocks Kaien out with a Kido spell and disappears into thin air?" Ichigo asked.

"It could be an Arrancar," Urahara pondered. "The description of the portal sounds a lot like a garganta."

"It wasn't an Arrancar Urahara-san. I'm positive he looked like a normal human," Jinta insisted. He and Ururu tried to describe the man's appearance.

"Did he look something like this?" Rukia asked. She held up a hastily scribbled doodle of a funny looking rabbit with blonde hair and a white jumpsuit.

"Uhh Rukia, I don't think he looked like that," Ichigo said in a mocking voice. Rukia threw the paper at his head in a comical fashion. Thankfully, Ururu managed to produce a much better drawing and showed the three adults a complete portrait of a man with white skin, blonde hair, and an outfit similar to the Shihakushos that Aizen's Arrancar wore, with the exception of a long billowing cape.

"So this is what he looked like," Ichigo said. "Did he do any noticeable actions other than kidnapping Kaien?"

"Um, I do remember him inquiring about gigai model L13666," Jinta replied.

"L13666? Are you sure?" Urahara seemed anxious and worried.

"What's L13666?" Rukia asked. Urahara hesitated in answering.

"It is a brand new prototype model of a gigai that I created in the last few months. It's a highly advanced combination of the portable gigai with the reiatsu masking model I gave you." Rukia recalled with disgust the time she spent in Urahara's gigai.

"Does this gigai also suck the spirit energy of the user?"

"Fortunately it doesn't. It merely employs an advanced mechanism that replicates the effect of Hakufuku. Any Shinigami using it would still retain full access to their reiatsu. What's more, they can easily switch out of the gigai without needing a gikongan or a Konpaku displacement glove. The drawback to the gigai is that it can only be used once and it has a time limit. Once that limit is reached the gigai crumbles into dust," Urahara explained.

"I get it now. That man must have been wearing one when he came in and he wanted to buy another copy," Jinta said.

"But how could he have obtained one in the first place? You said it was a prototype right? Then it shouldn't be available to ordinary Konpaku," Rukia said.

"Indeed it isn't. Only a few copies have been distributed, most to the Research and Development Institute and the Special Ops, but I think one or two might have fallen into the hands of officials from the Central 46."

"If it's one of Priam's cronies then they could have easily given it to the kidnapper," Ichigo said. "But enough about the gigai. I want to know how this person managed to get into Karakura Cho in the first place, let alone find this shop. If he came from the real world then he should have been inspected by the eighth division. And if he used a private Senkaimon from Seireitei the reiatsu signature should be easily traced."

"Are you suggesting we talk to Renji?" Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded.

"We're not just going to ask him about the man. There's also the matter of the fake hell butterfly. If he didn't receive then it's certain that someone inside Seireitei purposely sent it to us. I have a hunch that Priam may be behind all of this."

"Well then, I'll leave the investigation to the two of you," Urahara lowered his hat. "I'll need to clean this place-and see whether I can trace the reiatsu signature of the portal." Ichigo and Rukia nodded. As they were about to leave, they were stopped by Masaki.

"Otoo-san, Oka-san, take me with you!" Masaki begged her parents.

"It's too dangerous for you to come with us, darling," Ichigo knelt down and placed his arms around her. "There's a chance that you could be kidnapped."

"She's not safe in the Urahara Shoten either Ichigo," Rukia reminded him. Ichigo sighed.

"You're right Rukia. And she's not safe at home either. Especially when neither of us is present." Ichigo pondered for a moment, thinking of a safe place. "I know; why don't you stay with grandpa Isshin?" Masaki nodded enthusiastically. And so the Kurosaki family left the Urahara Shoten and returned to Seireitei. Ichigo and Rukia dropped Masaki at the thirteenth division barracks, where Isshin was delighted to look after Masaki.

"Alright, Masaki's safe now," Ichigo said. "Let's go speak to Renji." Rukia took out her soul pager and looked up Renji's signal.

"He's busy working in Karakura Cho at the moment," she said.

* * *

_Eighth Division Administrative Office, Karakura Honchou_

"Ichigo, Rukia, it's great to see you again," Abarai Renji greeted the two people who walked into his Karakura Cho office. Renji was one of the youngest captains, having been promoted to captaincy status alongside Ichigo. He had the unenviable task of filling the daunting shoes left by the beloved former captain, Kyoraku Shunsui. Though he had increased his power considerably in the last twenty years, by most respects he was still considered the weakest captain. Despite these enormous handicaps, Renji had succeeded in making the eighth division one of the most hard working and efficient arms of the Gotei 13.

"So, what are you here for? I don't often get to see the two of you together like this anymore, so if you've come to see me it must be something important," Renji said.

"Indeed we have," Ichigo said. He tried to smile, but Renji could tell that Ichigo wasn't in the mood for light talk. "You've been at this office for most of today haven't you?"

"From the break of dawn in fact."

"Then I want to ask you if you've received a hell butterfly message about the attack on the mayor's office by a bunch of rebels."

"The mayor's office was attacked by rebels?" Renji asked in surprise. "I never heard about it at all. I assume that Zaraki's Keibi dealt with them without needing to inform me."

"So you didn't receive a hell butterfly after all," Rukia said. "Then I guess our suspicions are correct. Someone sent a hell butterfly to personally inform me, Ichigo and Urahara to deal with something that the Keibi and Kukaku could have handled by themselves."

"I guess that is kind of strange. I have never heard of a hell butterfly being sent all the way out here, let alone being targeted at a single person," Renji said. "I certainly didn't request one to be sent, so that hell butterfly definitely came from Seireitei."

"Thanks for the confirmation Renji," Ichigo said. "We'd better return to Seireitei then." He and Rukia left Renji's office and boarded the underground metro. By the time they got back to the fifth division barracks it was already late afternoon and the sun was beginning its descent. After a brief period of rest in their office, Ichigo and Rukia headed out again and Shunpo-ed towards the Research and Development Institute. When they arrived at the large central tower that formed the institute's main building they were greeted by a creepy man with horns growing from his head. Though neither Ichigo nor Rukia were familiar with them, they recognised him as the twelfth division's third seat, Akon.

"Welcome Kurosaki Taicho, Kuchiki Fukutaicho," Akon greeted them. "I did not expect your presence here. Do you request an audience with Mayuri-sama?"

"As a matter of fact we do," Ichigo said. Ichigo and Rukia followed Akon into the interior of the building. Despite having visited the institute a few times, Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at some of the displays and experiments that he and Rukia observed. When they finally reached Mayuri's office, they found the twelfth division captain in the middle of dissecting a gigai.

"Mayuri-sama, Kurosaki Taicho and Kuchiki Fukutaicho wish to speak to you," Akon said as he knelt on one knee. Ichigo could see that Mayuri was annoyed at his appearance.

"What do you want Kurosaki Ichigo? Can't you see I'm in the middle of an important experiment?" Mayuri asked.

"Er yes, I can see that," Ichigo faked a laugh. "I need you to ask you about an important matter." He explained what happened in Karakura Cho to Mayuri without embellishment.

"Hmm, this is interesting. Someone actually ordered you using a hell butterfly? I thought they'd be smart enough to send a message via soul pager," Mayuri stroked his chin in amusement."

"I know you can trace the reiatsu signatures of each individual hell butterfly since you're in charge of the monitoring system. See if you can track down where the hell butterfly was originally sent form. I have a hunch that it came from the Central 46," Ichigo said. Mayuri disliked being ordered by Ichigo but he nevertheless proceeded to search through the reiatsu signatures of the thousands of hell butterflies in Soul Society. After several minutes of searching and rewinding the monitoring videos, Mayuri located a lone signature outside of Seireitei.

"It appears you are correct," Mayuri said. "The logs show a hell butterfly exiting the western gate before heading towards Karakura Cho. If I remind the logs even further, the path of that butterfly leads all the way to..." Ichigo stared at the glowing red dot hovering over the Central 46's chambers, with the words 'Daito Ryo's Office' flashing below the dot. He didn't need any further information; all of his suspicions had been confirmed.

"Thanks Kurotsuchi-san. I'll leave you to it." Ichigo turned around and headed for the entrance, leaving Mayuri confused and angered.

"Wait Ichigo!" Rukia shouted as she followed him out of the Institute. "Where are you going now?"

"I'm going to the President's office," Ichigo replied. "Priam and I need to talk."

"But what about Kaien? You promised me you were going to look for him!"

"You can ask Soifon and Yoruichi-san to assist you. You arranged a search party to look for Kaien yesterday didn't you?"

"Fine then," Rukia sulked. Without saying another word she headed towards the second division barracks. Ichigo sighed heavily. Since their marriage twenty years ago there were many times when his relationship with Rukia was tested, but he never imagined it would have as strained as this. With a feeling of anxiety in his heart he Shunpo-ed towards the Central 46 chambers.

* * *

_Second division barracks_

"Taicho, Fukutaicho, Kuchiki Fukutaicho of fifth division wishes to speak to you," a masked member of the Special Forces addressed Soifon and Yoruichi.

"Oh, Rukia wants our help again?" Yoruichi asked.

"Please bring her here," Soifon ordered the man. A short while later Rukia arrived and quickly bowed her head in reverence at Soifon.

"There's no need for such formalities here, Kuchiki Fukutaicho," Soifon smiled.

"Alright," Rukia blushed.

"So, what are you here for Rukia-chan?" Yoruichi asked. "Another request for a search party? Has your son gone missing again?" Rukia nodded.

"He hasn't just gone missing-he was abducted by a stranger." Both Soifon and Yoruichi were stunned at this announcement.

"He was abducted? When did it happen? What were the circumstances?" Soifon asked frantically. Rukia took her time to recount what had happened. When she finished Soifon and Yoruichi understood her situation.

"This is indeed a serious situation. I'll deploy all available squad members from the Patrol Ops and the Punishment Force to look for the kidnapper," Soifon said. "We'll search the whole of Seireitei and all of Rukongai if we have to."

"Thank you so much Soifon Taicho," Rukia smiled happily.

"Where is Ichigo? I thought he'd be helping you look for him," Yoruichi said.

"Ichigo said he was going to confront the President. He believes the kidnapping may have been orchestrated by someone within the Central 46."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"Only Urahara, Renji and Mayuri at this stage. But I was thinking I should tell Nii-sama and Isshin-san about it too."

"You'd better do it soon. I have a feeling someone will have to stop Ichigo from assaulting the President," Yoruichi said. Both Soifon and Rukia shared her concern.

* * *

_Central 46 Compound, the Daito Ryo's Chambers_

"What are you here Kurosaki Taicho?" a councillor of the Central 46 asked with a pale face as he saw Ichigo walk towards him. Though Ichigo was also a member of the Central 46, his status as a captain meant he was technically restricted from entering the President's quarters. Such technicalities were meant nothing for Ichigo right now, and with a mere glance and a slight flexing of his reiatsu he brought the councillor to his knees.

"I don't have time for procedures," Ichigo said with a strong accent. "Tell me where Priam is."

"He's, he's in his office...right...now..." the councillor dropped to the ground unconscious. A great blob of saliva flowed from his mouth. Ichigo walked past him without a second thought. As he walked along the corridors he encountered more councillors and a significant number of Priam's personal guards. They all tried to prevent him from reaching the President's office. Ichigo released more of his reiatsu and instantly knocked all them unconscious. _These must have all been Priam's cronies_, Ichigo thought as he continued through the corridors, dropping counsellors and guards with his reiatsu as he went.

He finally reached the front doors of the President's office. Without a second's hesitation Ichigo pushed against the two front doors and swung them open. His eyes immediately flashed to the person sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the room. Laodemon Priam, the head of the Laodemon Clan, one of the four noble families. After two failed attempts, Priam had succeeded in being elected the Daito Ryo (President) of Soul Society through a series of back room deals. In his three years in office Priam had made a number of changes to the administration brought back echoes of the original Central 46. Ichigo and many of the other captains had been sceptical of these changes but since nothing overtly suspicious had happened, all of them, including Ichigo, had assumed that Priam was still acting in Soul Society's interests. Clearly the incident from today had shattered Ichigo's assumption.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, what are you doing here in my chambers?" Priam asked.

"We need to talk, Priam," Ichigo said. Priam was unnerved by Ichigo's stare.

"About what? My policies? Or the fact that I've made a few changes to the way Soul Society is run?"

"No Priam. I'm here to talk about a certain incident that occurred this morning. My son was kidnapped by a stranger." The colour on Priam's face drained away when he heard Ichigo's words.

"You son was kidnapped? Now that is a surprise. I wonder how a man as powerful as you could let such a tragedy occurring," Priam said in a sarcastic voice.

"Don't toy with me Priam!" Ichigo Shunpo-ed right beside Priam and grabbed him by the collar. "Kaien's kidnapping was no accident. Someone sent me a hell butterfly that ordered me, Rukia and Urahara to respond to a sham attack on the mayor. I left my children at Urahara's shop but by the time I returned Kaien was gone. Whoever kidnapped him just happened to know his exact location, just as a hell butterfly somehow managed to find its way to me and Rukia. These two events can't just be a coincidence!"

"Are you implying that I was the one who orchestrated the kidnapping?" Priam's facial expression darkened.

"The evidence points to it. The hell butterfly that I received was traced all the back to your office. Surely either you or one of your men must have sent it."

"This is preposterous! How dare you make such an accusation against me?" Priam shoved Ichigo away with force. "I am the President. You are a mere captain. You should know your status. Laying such outlandish accusations is tantamount to treason!" Ichigo was taken aback by Priam's abusive attitude, but in his mind he expected this sort of reaction.

"I guess I have no choice then," Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed. "For a while I've been torn between watching you turn Soul Society into a dictatorship or overthrowing you before things got out of hand. Your words and actions have made me choose the latter. This is it Priam. Your rule ends here!" Ichigo was about to draw his katana when someone suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder. Ichigo froze in shock. He turned around and saw Kuchiki Byakuya standing behind him.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo exclaimed

"Sheath your sword, Kurosaki," Byakuya said. "I understand you have a grudge against Laodemon Priam, but this is not an excuse to draw blood in Soul Society's most sacred sanctum. Do you want to maintain a fragile peace or risk inciting a trail of bloodshed that will cost innocent lives? On your word we have civil war." Ichigo hesitantly let go of his scabbard. He sucked in his anger, staring at Priam one last time before he followed Byakuya out of the President's office. Upon exiting the Central 46 compound Ichigo was greeted by his father, who appeared to be very disappointed.

"What were you thinking Ichigo?" Isshin asked. "You should have known better than to press charges against the Daito Ryo without substantial evidence. Even if you could take Priam to court, would you succeed in indicting him on the basis of a few eyewitness accounts?"

Ichigo conceded that Isshin was right. He would have been hard pressed to lay firm blame on Priam for the kidnapping when even his evidence was based on what his daughter had seen.

"I'm sorry Byakuya, Old man," Ichigo said. "I should have followed Rukia's advice and looked for Kaien first."

"Thankfully Rukia managed to contact me first." Byakuya said. "My division is working closely with the Special Forces in searching Seireitei and Rukongai. Should the kidnapper be found, he will be swiftly brought to justice."

"As for the matter of the hell butterfly, I think you should discuss it with the Sotaicho. She might be able to launch a probe into Priam's activities in a more covert fashion than you did," Isshin recommended.

"Sounds a like a good idea. Let's do this." Ichigo followed Isshin and Byakuya and headed for the first division barracks.

* * *

_Blue Stream Gate, Nishi Rukongai District One_

It wasn't often for Ikkanzaka Jidanbo to see someone approaching him. As the gatekeeper for the Blue Stream Gate, it was his duty to guard the eastern portion of Seireitei against Ryoka invaders. With the completion of the underground rail system, most Shinigami and normal Rukongai residents no longer used the gate to enter or exit Seireitei so more often than not the gate was shut. On the occasions when Jidanbo was forced to open the gate, it was generally to allow officers or even captains from the Gotei a quick access. Jidanbo didn't know what to make of the person standing in front of him right now. He wore a strange set of clothes, resembling something closer to an armoured suit than a Shihakusho, though his headdress resembled the hats worn by the Reitetei messengers. Something else that caught Jidanbo's notice was his shallow breathing; he definitely appeared to be injured.

"Are you alright sir?" Jidanbo peered down at the man.

"Please...you've got to...take me to the...Sotaicho," the man laboured in a hoarse voice. "I have...urgent news...for him."

"Him? Are you referring to Shigekuni Yamamoto Genyrusai?"

"Yes...the legendary Genryusai-sama...only he will understand my message." Jidanbo paused for a moment, knowing how painful it would be to tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry but Genryusai is dead. The new Sotaicho is Unohana Retsu."

"Genryusai...dead?" The colour on the man's face faded. "What should I do now?"

"I will take you to see the Sotaicho regardless. She may still be able to register your message." Jidanbo held the man in his left hand and with his hand he lifted up the Western gate. The giant motioned to the four Shinigami guards who had been standing on the opposite side of the wall.

"Take this man to see the Sotaicho quickly!" Jidanbo barked. The Shinigami nodded.

* * *

_Head Captain's Office, First Division Barracks_

Head Captain Unohana Retsu was surprised to see three of her most powerful captains show up outside the door. Though she had received word about Shiba Kaien's abduction from the Onimitsukidou's messenger force, the details of the incident were still unclear to her. The appearance of Kurosaki Ichigo, Shiba Isshin and Kuchiki Byakuya in front of her could only mean something serious had happened.

"I was not expecting the three of you to see me," Unohana admitted. "But may I presume the matter you want to discuss has something to do with Shiba Kaien's abduction?" The three captains nodded.

"There's more at stake than just my son's disappearance," Ichigo replied. "Sotaicho-san, I believe we have been victims of a vast conspiracy orchestrated by none other than our President."

"The President has been conspiring against us? Please tell me everything Kurosaki-san." Unohana listened attentively as Ichigo, Isshin and Byakuya took their turn to discuss their recollection of the events of the past two days. When they finished, Unohana was deeply disturbed and worried.

"So a mysterious stranger somehow managed to infiltrate Rukongai and find his way to the Urahara Shoten, and proceeded to abduct your son before vanishing-without leaving the faintest reiatsu signature," Unohana addressed Ichigo. "And you think Priam may have been working with this stranger?"

"I'm quite positive," Ichigo said. "The hell butterfly that lured us away from the Urahara Shoten came from his office. The attack on the mayor's office is suspect too. It could have been set up on Priam's orders as a perfect distraction."

"What you've said is very concerning. I will definitely investigate Priam's actions," Unohana said. "As for the search for your son, I believe the Onimitsukidou are looking for him as we speak?"

"Yes my sister Rukia personally requested the assistance of Captain Soifon," Byakuya replied.

"Then I guess there is nothing more we can do but wait and hope they find him soon. We cannot act too quickly against Priam, for by now he has almost certainly tightened his grip on the Central 46..." Just as Unohana was about to finish her sentence the doors to the office burst open. Four normal ranked Shinigami came rushing in. They were carrying a person on their shoulders. As they neared Unohana's chair they lowered the person onto his feet before kneeling down in respect.

"Sotaicho, we have brought man who wishes to speak to you," one of the Shinigami said. "We believe he is a messenger from Jigoku." Unohana's eyes widened in surprise.

"From Jigoku? Are you sure?" she asked the man bent down in front of her. He was panting heavily and appeared to be physically distressed.

"Sotaicho...I come to you with a handwritten message from King Enma Daio," the messenger said in a hoarse voice. "He requests your assistance." Unohana opened the envelope he gave her and read the letter carefully.

"_If you reading this, please know that I am longer the ruler of Jigoku. I have been overthrown by my son Azrael who has turned my loyal guardians against me. Jigoku has been taken over by demons from the Chaos Realm. I do not have the power to oppose them anymore. Given time they will almost certainly find a way to ascend to the higher spiritual planes. Yours truly, Enma Daio_," Unohana read out loud from the letter. When she finished, none of the captains around her could say a word. The implications of the message were far too overwhelming to comprehend.

"Hell has been invaded by demons? What does that mean? And who is this Enma Daio?" Ichigo asked. Though both Isshin and Byakuya refrained from talking, the same questions were burning in their minds. However, they noticed Unohana was now visibly distressed, with her whole body trembling. Just then the messenger collapsed onto the ground unconscious. Unohana ordered the four Shinigami to take him to the fourth division medical bays. Then Unohana turned to Ichigo, Isshin and Byakuya.

"Gentleman, I want you to summon the other captains in secret," she said. "There is a very important meeting that we must hold." The three captains nodded and quickly left the office. Unohana was left pondering the implications of the letter.

"Enma-san, I hope you are still okay," she said to herself.

* * *

Brief Notes on the characters:

Abarai Renji: He was promoted to captain of the 8th division at the end of the War against Aizen. His lieutenant is Yadomaru Lisa.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri: Nothing much has changed. Is still the captain of 12th division and the Head of the Research and Development Institute.

Soifon: Still the captain of the 2nd division, but Yoruichi is now her lieutenant.

Laodemon Priam: The head of the Laodemon family, one of the Sereitei's four noble families. He was elected the President of Soul Society three years ago and now controls the Central 46.

Kuchiki Byakuya: Still the captain of 6th division. His is now married to Ise Nanao, who is also his lieutenant.

Jidanbo: Is still the gatekeeper of the Eastern gate.

Unohana Retsu: The current Head Captain. She was unanimously selected by her fellow captains to this position after Yamamoto's death in the War against Aizen.


	3. Chapter 3: Shadows from the Past

**Bleach: Twilight of Souls**

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a Fanstory and only OCs that I have created belong to me.

Bleach Twilight of Souls is a continuation of the plot line begun in After the War and continued in the New Order Trilogy, but it is not necessary to have read the previous works to enjoy this story.

**Note: Sorry for the update taking so long. I had to rewrite this chapter a lot of times, as the central flashback took ages to figure out.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Shadows from the Past

_Fourth division barracks, first medical bay_

"How is he Tessai-san?" Ichigo asked. He had followed the four Shinigami from the Head Captain's office and accompanied them through the front door of the fourth division. When Tessai and Hachi saw the messenger they quickly placed him into intensive care. Hachi even cast a stasis field over the messenger's body.

"He's unconscious but his condition is stable," Tessai replied. "He's suffered some injuries but none of them were serious."

"But the man looked like he was dying as he addressed the Sotaicho."

"Ah yes, I believe he was suffering from a rare form of asphyxiation," Tessai explained. "I do not know the full reason behind it but it appears the high density of Soul Society's spiritual pressure was too much for this person. An analogy would be a human suddenly appearing at the bottom of the sea and getting crushed under the weight of the water above."

"Does this mean he might die if he stays here for an extended period?" Ichigo asked. Tessai and Hachi nodded.

"The stasis field I've placed around him will shield him from the full density of Soul Society's reiatsu but I cannot hold it indefinitely. Sooner or later he will die," Hachi said.

"Before it occurs I will try to extract as much information from him as I can." Tessai said.

"You do that," Ichigo nodded. He left the fourth division and proceeded to contact as many of the other captains as possible.

It was nearly midnight when the twelve captains of the Gotei 13 walked entered the Head Captain's office. The urgent summons had surprised the other captains; most of them had been asleep. Apart from Soifon and Mayuri, none of the other captains had knowledge of the events of the past two days. As the twelve weary individuals filled into the room, Unohana ordered them to sit on the rectangular stone table that had been set up in the centre of the room.

"I am sorry for summoning all of you at this inconvenient time," Unohana started. "But the matter we need to discuss if of grave importance."

"It better be!" Kenpachi shouted. "I don't want to have been disturbed from my sleep for something trivial." Unohana turned to Tessai.

"What is the status of the messenger?" she asked.

"I am afraid his chances of reviving are slim Sotaicho," Tessai replied. "His condition is worsening and it won't be long before he dies. However, I was able to extract the memories from his mind. Everyone, please observe carefully as I distil his memories into a visible shape." Tessai held a cup with a glowing silvery liquid and poured it into a basin in the middle of the table. The basin glowed brightly before emitting a shining orb two feet wide that floated in the air. The other captains looked on with interest as images started flashing across the orb.

The first image was the figure of an old man, with a grey hair, a short beard and a crown with two demon horns. The second image was of an ominous tower, dark red in colour. The third image showed the figure of the old man again, this time in chains behind a steel cell. The fourth image was of a blonde haired man dressed entirely in white. The fifth image showed row upon row of hideous monsters emerging from a portal. The final image was the figure of the messenger person, crawling through a draining duct. The orb disappeared and the captains were left to ponder the significance of what they saw.

"Would I be correct in guessing that the old man we saw is Enma Daio?" Kensei asked.

"Yes you would be," Unohana replied. "I do not know the identity of the blonde-haired man, but from these images it appears that Enma Daio has been imprisoned."

"Wait a second! I recognise the blonde haired man!" Ichigo exclaimed. "He looks just like the person who abducted my son!" Except for Renji, all of the other captains looked at Ichigo with surprised faces.

"The messenger said something about Enma having a son called Azrael," Isshin said. "Perhaps he is the person who kidnapped Kaien."

"Could we back up a bit?" Hitsugaya asked. "There are some things I don't get. Who is this Enma Daio and what were the demons the messenger was talking about?" Hitsugaya's question resonated with many of the other captains, including Ichigo. All of them were eager for more information. Unohana took a deep breath and sighed.

"Very well then, I shall begin by discussing the real purpose of Jigoku and the nature of the demons," Unohana explained. She motioned to Tessai to bring up the crystal orb display again. This time the orb displayed a holographic projection of the earth split into multiple layers superimposed on each other. "Would you care to explain to everyone what this projection is about, Tessai-san?" Tessai nodded.

"I am sure all of you are familiar with the relationship between Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and the Real World by now. Each of these realms exists alongside each other but one separate spiritual levels. Each realm is connected by a transfer of Konpaku. Souls are born as live humans in the Real World. Upon death the Konpaku either become hollows and flee to Hueco Mundo or are sent to Soul Society by Shinigami. The realm of Jigoku forms the final piece of the Konpaku transfer. As the lowest of the spiritual realms it is the final resting place for all souls that perish. Whether it be hollows that are killed by objects other than Zanpakuto or Shinigami whose life span finally expires, every soul ultimately passes down to Jigoku. When they get there, their spirits are judged, and are either purified to reunite with the Uni no Seirei to start a new cycle of existence, or in the case of evil souls, they are condemned to whatever punishment that awaits them."

"Enough with the explanation about Jigoku. I want to know about these demons," Mayuri said. Tessai clicked a few buttons and brought up an overlay on top of the original hologram.

"Alright. The outer layer I have brought up represents the Void, a separate dimension that surrounds the spirit realms of Soul Society, Hueco Mundo and Jigoku. Think of it as a spirit version of outer space. The inhabitants of this dimensions are the so called demons we have been talking about. They are otherworldly entities that possess no physical or spiritual bodies. Their true forms are so alien that no sentient being is able to comprehend them. However, on the rare occasions when the Void interacts with the physical or spiritual realms, these demons have been known to manifest in actual physical forms. Unfortunately this is about as much knowledge as I have on them at the moment. Since there have been no records or documents kept on Jigoku or the demons, the knowledge that I have only comes from second hand accounts."

"Thank you for your efforts Tessai-san, but it is only natural that you would not know much. The Reio forbid the itemisation of all information related to either subject." Unohana said. "Until now, only Yamamoto Genyrusai, Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jushiro and I were aware of the truth behind both. We swore to never divulge the secrets we shared to anyone, not even to the Central 46. For if someone as evil as Aizen got their hands on this knowledge, Soul Society and the Real world would have both been doomed." Unohana took a deep breath and sighed.

"Because we have come this far, I might as well reveal these secrets to you all. Listen carefully everyone, for the story I am about to tell concerns the foundation of Seireitei and the Gotei 13. It's a story that takes place more than two thousand years ago, when Soul Society was still in its infancy..."

* * *

_Unohana's Flashback_

Back then, the Gotei 13 was nothing more than the personal security force of the Reio. It protected the Royal City, the predecessor to Seireitei. The Shinou Academy had only been recently been founded by Yamamoto Genryusai. Yamamoto was only a senior captain at this point; he had not been promoted to Sotaicho.

In that early time period, the practice of Shinigami patrolling the real world and purifying hollows had not become standard practice. It was rare for a Shinigami to venture out to the real world by himself. Given that most of the Gotei 13 consisted of nobles from Soul Society's founding families, it was to be expected that few of them would consider leaving the confines of the Royal City.

I started out as an ordinary girl living in district one of West Rukongai. But I was soon accepted as a personal handmaiden to the then Reio's wife. I served in that capacity for many years before the Reio recognised my potential and personally drafted me into the Gotei 13. As a rookie Shinigami I was eager to gain experience in live combat. Unfortunately for me, none of the captains except Yamamoto wanted anything to do with it. The thought of a Rukongai citizen, let alone a female, becoming a Shinigami was anathema to them. Yamamoto was different however. He realized I had a great deal of power hidden inside of me. He also had a vision for the future, one where Shinigami were soldiers who actively protected the welfare of souls in Soul Society and the real world, and weren't mere palace guards.

"Would you like to go on a reconnaissance mission to the real world?" Yamamoto asked me. He told me he needed someone to report the status of the real world before going ahead with his program to mass recruit Shinigami from Rukongai. I eagerly accepted his request. I was one of the first Shinigami to enter a Seireimon to the real world.

I found myself in a place called Palestine in the real world. From what Yamamoto told me before I left, it was the Jureichi of that time period. From what I saw around me his description was quite accurate. Everywhere I looked I could see plus souls and hollows mingling with ordinary humans. Even the buildings seemed to be full of Reishi. I wandered around for a while killing as many hollows as I could and sending lone Plus souls to Soul Society. But during my search I sensed an enormous source of Reiatsu coming from a small village in the south.

When I went to investigate I discovered the source was coming from a baby. I was astonished to see such a powerful spiritual pressure. I realized the possibility that his presence could cause undue influence on other humans and attract hollows to him. So I sought Yamamoto's permission to stay in the Real World for an indefinite period. He me granted me my request on the condition that I must not be seen or heard by humans. I thought it would be an easy condition to meet. And so for the next thirty years I stayed inside the Jureichi. I performed Konso on as many pluses as I could find and killed every hollow I encountered, whilst keeping a close watch on the progress of the boy. In time he matured into a strong and powerful man, and likewise his Reiatsu matured to the extent where he was able to manifest it at will.

When he was able to consciously access his powers, he began using them for the benefit of the people in Palestine. His fame soon grew and people began calling him names such as the 'healer' or 'saviour'. He called himself Kirisuto-"the son of Man". I however suspected that there was a darker side to this power. The number of hollows in the region started to increase and soon enough even ordinary people noticed strange apparitions everywhere. I knew I had to confront this person eventually, to either stop him or at least show him how to use his powers. I followed his movements to a desert in the south.

I chose to appear before him wearing a white haori over my black Shihakusho. He was surprised at my appearance and thought I was an angel. I told him in blunt terms that his spiritual pressure had attracted the presence of hollows and other evil spirit entities that could prey on the souls of living humans. He took my statement with a stoicism that surprised me. He wanted to learn how to control his powers in a way that wouldn't harm his people but at the same time be evil to fight the evil spirits he had attracted. Before I could teach him the two of us were confronted by a being of unfathomable evil and power: Lucifer Iblis, the King of the Demons. His appearance was of a man-sized shadow but with a hideous otherworldly feel. He stated he had come to claim the soul of Kirisuto in order to lure him to the dark side. With a being as powerful as Kirisuto by his side, the Demon King could easily enslave the real world.

With my encouragement, Kirisuto resisted the demon's temptations, after which the Demon King became enraged and attacked us. It was a battle which the two of us barely escaped with our lives. I was still inexperienced using my Zanpakuto and for all of his Reiatsu, Kirisuto was still a mere human. In the end we able to banish Lucifer from the real world. From that point on we decided to work together on a mission to free the minds and souls of everyone who had been enslaved by demons. For three years we ventured across Palestine and gained a vast following of people. Some of our followers ended up possessing enough spiritual awareness to even see me.

Although my heart dearly wanted to help Kirisuto, in my head I knew I had failed my mission. Soul Society was bound to take notice. However it was the local priests who first took action against us. These people were the supposed ancestors of the Quincies. They saw Kirisuto and me as a threat to their power. On one fateful night the two of us were ambushed. I was confronted by more than ten priests who all wielded soul destroying arrows. I thought I was going to die for certain. Then out of nowhere six of the Guardian captains appeared and quickly dealt with the priests. I was relieved to have been saved but I knew they hadn't come here just to rescue me. The Sotaicho Enma had found out about my actions and found them unacceptable. I was brought back to Soul Society and sentenced for an indefinite period of imprisonment.

I found out much later that Kirisuto's fate was far worse. He was seized by the priests. They put him on trial and later executed him. His death was not the end however. I did not know how he did it but he was somehow able to become a Shinigami by himself. Barely a few weeks into my imprisonment, the peace of Soul Society was shattered when Hitonoko suddenly appeared in Rukongai with a companion. The two of them breached the walls of the Royal City and fought their way to my prison. I can still remember the words he said to me that day.

"You look so glum, Angel of death. Have you lost your wings of hope?" he asked. "I'm here to save you." I was astounded at what he had become. He was now a Shinigami himself, and his Reiatsu was as powerful as a captain's. He and his companion assisted me in escaping the prison but we were soon surrounded by the thirteen captains. Yamamoto had been extremely disappointed in me but the Sotaicho, Enma, was livid. He ordered me to be put back in my cell and called for Kirisuto and his companion's execution.

"Let them go!" I protested. "I'm the one to blame for bringing them here!" It was no use. Kirisuto was prepared to fight to the death, but at that moment the sky of Soul Society was suddenly ripped apart. A large red gash appeared, out of which poured a horde of demons, malevolent entities that ranged from mere beasts to immense creatures that were as powerful as a captain. The Sotaicho ordered the captains to scatter and fight off as many of them as they could, whilst he himself raced to the King's quarters to secure the safety of the Reio and his family. Despite my powers having been depleted, I vowed to fight to defend Soul Society. Kirisuto and his companion, who introduced herself as Izanami, offered to help. The three of us joined with the captains in fending off the invaders.

After days of bloody fighting we finally managed to kill every single demon. But we had achieved victory at a terrible cost. Nearly all of the Royal City had been destroyed. More than half of all Shinigami had died. But the greatest tragedy was the death of the Reio and the near massacre of his entire family. Despite Enma's best efforts, he could get to the King's palace in time to stop the demons from getting to the Royal Family first. The only member who survived was Prince Izanagi, the Reio's oldest son. In the aftermath of the great battle, Enma called the captains together to come up with a plan to rebuild Soul Society. One of those measures was allowing the Shinou Academy to recruit people from Rukongai. Yamamoto proposed that Shinigami be sent on regular patrols to the Real world but Enma overruled him. He did however allow Kirisuto to keep his powers. Kirisuto thus became the first Substitute Shinigami.

His friend Izanami had lost her human body. Izanagi offered to let her stay with him. Kirisuto wanted to stay in the Soul Society but he agreed to return to the Real World, if only to meet his followers for the last time. As for me, I decided to train with Yamamoto. It was during this training that I met Shunsui and Jushiro. I started sparring with them and soon enough the three of us became close friends.

The peace we thought we had won after the demon invasion would not last for long. Barely weeks after the battle, an incident happened that shocked everyone in Soul Society. Izanami, who had grown close to Prince Izanagi, was abducted by a demon. After a long investigation the captains deduced she had been taken to Hueco Mundo. When Kirisuto found out about this on his return to Soul Society, he immediately planned a mission to rescue her. Despite my misgivings I volunteered to accompany him. Shunsui and Jushiro offered to join in. But most surprising of all, Izanagi-sama wanted to come along. Kirisuto somehow had an ability to create a Garganta and the five of us went through it.

Upon reaching Hueco Mundo we found ourselves outside an enormous fortress. To my knowledge it was the predecessor to Las Noches. We breached a small hole in the outer wall and proceeded to infiltrate the fortress. It wasn't long before we encountered enemies-a host of demons guards who patrolled the corridors. To our horror, we realized that the demon's invasion had not significantly diminished their strength. Despite our best efforts to remain undetected, we soon found ourselves fighting against demons with the strength of a captain. Kirisuto's power enabled us to defeat multiple demons in succession but we were eventually surrounded. Just as we were about to be killed, the Sotaicho Enma and the twelve other captains appeared.

Enma had been very angry about us going to Hueco Mundo by ourselves, but at the same time he was pleased that we were able to open up a tactical opportunity to destroy the demons once and for all. As a united group the thirteen captains easily defeated any opponent they came across. Even the Greater Demons, beings that possessed the reiatsu of a captain, were no match of them. Our united group eventually reached the inner sanctum of the fortress and confronted the Demon King himself, Lucifer Iblis. Far from being angry that his enemies were able to reach him, he was actually smiling.

"I have been expecting you, Shinigami," he grinned evilly. He told us that we stood no chance against him. With a wave of his hands he revealed to us a frail woman trapped in a cage, behind which was a dark rift. The woman in question was none other than Izanami. The Demon King gave us a difficult choice; to either save Izanami and let him escape, or to fight him and risk losing her forever. In ordinary circumstances, the Sotaicho Enma would have chosen to abandon Izanami to her fate, but this time he conceded they had no alternative. Enma revealed to everyone the extent of Izanami's powers. She somehow possessed the power to break through dimensional barriers, to restore and create objects out of thin air and even reverse the laws of reality itself. It was her power that had resurrected Kirisuto from death and gave him entrance to Soul Society. Such a power was far too dangerous to let it fall into the hands of the enemy.

Izanami was rescued but as a consequence the Demon King was allowed to escape. Sotaicho Enma ordered Prince Izanagi to take Izanami back to Soul Society. Yamamoto suggested that Kirisuto, Shunsui, Jushiro and I should return too, but we insisted on staying. Enma and the other captains resolved to enter the dark rift and destroy the Demon King.

The events that transpired after that are too hazy for me to remember clearly. All I know is that the combined group entered the rift and arrived in the realm of Jigoku. We fought through hordes of demons before finally confronting Lucifer again. The Demon King was standing in front of a massive hole in reality, beyond which was the chaotic miasma of the Void. The thirteen captains released their Zanpaktos and fought against Lucifer. The scale of the battle was so intense that it caused shockwaves that resonated throughout the entire realm. The Demon King proved to be more powerful than we ever imagined; even the thirteen captains were gradually overpowered. As were on the verge of defeat, Hitonoko stepped in and fought against Lucifer by himself. He had somehow achieved a level of power far beyond that of any captain. But even Hitonoko could not defeat Lucifer by himself, for the Demon King drew upon the energies of the Void.

As a last ditch effort, Sotaicho Enma pulled out Soul Society's most powerful weapon-the Ouken. He planned to use the power of the Ouken to destroy Lucifer's physical body and banish his spirit back to the Void. To do this he needed the Reiyoku of an immensely powerful being. None of the captains were willing to give up their lives, but Hitonoko was.

"Don't do it!" I urged him to stop. "You don't have to sacrifice yourself!" Hitonoko simply smiled at me.

"Sorry Retsu-san, but this is my duty. I finally know the reason I was born into this world," he said to me and the other captains. "Don't grieve at my passing. Even when my Konpaku is gone, my heart will live on inside all of you." I couldn't bear to watch as Hitonoko's body turned to dust and merged with the Ouken. The Sotaicho Enma used the Ouken's power and physically destroyed the Demon King Lucifer's body, and cast his howling spirit back into the Void. To our dismay however, the Ouken could not close up the rift completely. A small tear, only as big a fingernail, was all that remained. But all of us knew how dangerous it was if this tear were to be left unguarded. Someone had to stay behind if in case the demons were to return.

At that moment, the Sotaicho Enma made a painful decision. He and eleven other captains would stay in Jigoku and guard the tear in reality. They would maintain relations with Soul Society and monitor the transfer of Konpaku between dimensions. Enma passed the Ouken to Yamamoto, charging him to defend Soul Society with his life. Yamamoto accepted the charge. After a last set of goodbyes, Shunsui, Jushiro and I followed Yamamoto set out on a journey back to Soul Society. When we returned, we told the families of the twelve captains what had happened. Some family members accepted what had happened but others wanted to join their loved ones. Yamamoto opened a permanent link with Jigoku and assisted the passage of everyone who wanted to go down there.

When the process was done, nearly half of Soul Society's population had left. The four of us, Yamamoto, Shunsui, Jushiro and me, along with the new Reio Izanagi, and his pride Izanami, were left the burden to rebuild Soul Society. We slowly filled in the empty captain positions with the nobles from the five remaining Great Families, whilst starting a mass recruitment of Shinigami candidates from all parts of Rukongai. The walls of Seireitei were strengthened, and the Reio's advisers gradually became the Central 46. For the next two thousand years, the four of us continued to run Soul Society and endured countless events, both great victories and heartbreaking losses. But none of us would forget the twelve original captains who to this day still dwell in the depths of Jigoku. But as for me, the person I remember the most is the Substitute Shinigami who gave his life to save the world...

With that Unohana finished telling the epic story of Soul Society's past. As she took a deep sigh of remembrance, the entire room fell silent. All of the other captains had been utterly amazed at her story, and were still trying to take in everything she had said. Ichigo couldn't help but think of the similarities between Unohana's story and his and Rukia's experiences, especially the way she described this mysterious 'Kirisuto'.

* * *

"I had no idea that Jigoku and Enma Daio-sama had such a history," Love said. His sentiment was expressed by many others.

"Assuming what you have told us is true; then the demons must have emerged from this tear in reality," Isshin addressed Unohana.

"That is correct," Unohana nodded.

"Then according to the messenger's report, someone must have re-opened the tear and allowed the demons to re-enter Jigoku," Byakuya said.

"The only people who could have done that are either Enma himself or his guardians," Tessai said.

"Wait a minute! Unohana-san, didn't you say that many of the original captains' family members went down to Jigoku to be with their loved ones?" Ichigo asked. Unohana nodded.

"Yes they did. Enma Daio's family also went to Jigoku to be with him," she said.

"Then there's a strong chance that this Prince Azrael is one of Enma's sons," Ichigo said.

"My goodness you're right!" Unohana gasped. "I do remember Enma speaking about having a child going by that name."

"By any chance did he look like the blonde-haired man that reportedly abducted Ichigo's son?" Renji asked. Unohana hesitated in answering but the look on her face told Ichigo that it was almost certainly the case.

"There's no doubt about it then. That bastard has taken my son Kaien down to Jigoku," Ichigo muttered. The other captains tried to sympathise with Ichigo but a more important question emerged from this realization, one that was first voiced by Soifon.

"If Kurosaki Kaien has been taken by Jigoku, then whoever abducted him must have had a reason for doing so beyond angering Kurosaki Taicho," Soifon said. The other captains agreed with her view, but none of them could fathom a realistic reason. For Ichigo however, there was only one thing on his mind: to recover Kaien at all costs, even if it meant travelling to the depths of Jigoku itself to rescue him.

* * *

_Somewhere in the realm of Jigoku_

A portal appeared in the middle of a dark chamber. A man with light blonde hair emerged, carrying a screaming child under his left arm. As he closed the portal behind him, the man took his time to observe the surroundings.

"It is good to be back," he said. He proceeded to walk down a dark passage. As he walked, torches along both sides of the passages lit up, illuminating dark red walls studded with spikes and edges. When the man reached the other end of the passage and entered a spacious atrium full of giant pillars, he sensed a presence lurking nearby.

"You've returned at last, Azrael-sama." From out of the shadows emerged a pale faced man with long spiky red hair that reached all the way down to his hip. His youthful expression and demonic grin made him seem like a mischievous child, but his cat-like yellow eyes belied the inner spirit of a vicious murderer who had experienced centuries of carnage. Azrael glanced at the man and gave a slight smirk.

"How has Jigoku been while I was away, Suzaku?" the blonde-haired man who went by the name Prince Azrael addressed his companion.

"Same old things as usual. I've had fun torturing some of the poor souls working in the sewers," Suzaku replied. "The Demon King also dropped by and said he was frustrated at our progress."

"Is that so? The next time I see him I'll tell him that events are progressing exactly as I planned," Azrael grinned. He dropped the boy in his left arm onto the floor. Suzaku was immediately piqued by the boy's appearance.

"Who is this runt, Azrael-sama?" he asked.

"This boy is the son of the legendary Kurosaki Ichigo."

"The Shinigami who defeated Aizen Sousuke and restored peace to Soul Society?"

"The very same one."

"You infiltrated Soul Society with Prometheus' help just to bring back this kid? What for?" Suzaku was slightly bemused.

"Patience Suzaku. I will tell explain my plan to the others once I have summoned the Lords of the Covenant to a general meeting. In the meantime, I want you to watch over the boy. Lock him up in a cell next to the old man, but make sure he receives plenty of good and water.  
"What? You want me to take care of him?" Suzaku asked. He could not hide his disgust at being handed such a humiliating job. However he had no choice but to comply with Azrael's orders.

As a set of hands closed in around his shoulders, young Kurosaki Kaien could do nothing but tremble in a fear and terror. He had only one thought in his mind-_Otoo-san, where are you right now?_

* * *

**Character/term descriptions:**

Enma Daio: (閻魔大王- Great King Enma) Named after Japanese king of the Underworld. Like his namesake, he is the King of Jigoku.

Azrael- Named after the biblical Angel of Death. Is apparently the Prince of Jigoku and the son of Enma.

Kirisuto: ('Son of Man" in Japanese) As is apparent from his name, he's pretty much a thinly veiled version of Jesus Christ. I did try to make his origin and back story unique to the Bleach universe.

Lucifer Iblis: ('Light-bringer' (Latin) 'Devil' (Arabic)). The King of the Demons and the Ruler of the Void Realm. He's pretty much the Bleach version of Satan.

Izanagi no Mitoko: (伊邪那岐) The current Reio (Spirit King) of Soul Society.

Izanami no Mitoko: (伊弉冉尊) The deceased former wife of Izanagi.

Suzaku: (朱雀) Named after the mythical Vermillion Phoenix. His origin and background are a still a mystery.


	4. Chapter 4: Descent into Hell

**Bleach: Twilight of Souls**

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a Fanstory and only OCs that I have created belong to me.

Bleach Twilight of Souls is a continuation of the plot line begun in After the War and continued in the New Order Trilogy, but it is not necessary to have read the previous works to enjoy this story.

Notes: Sorry for the looong delay between updates. I've been busy with work and study commitments. I apologize if these first few chapters have sounded boring; I had trouble writing them too. But starting from next chapter things will become interesting as the gang finally end up in Hell!

* * *

Chapter 4: Descent into Hell

_Fifth division barracks, Seireitei_

Kurosaki Ichigo yawned as he walked through the corridors of the fifth division barracks to his office. The captain's meeting had lasted well into the early hours of the morning and they still had not decided on an overall strategy. His mind was still reeling from Unohana's grand story and from coming to terms with the fact his son was now stuck in the depths of Hell.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's face greeted him as he entered his office.

"I thought you were asleep Rukia," Ichigo said.

"Why would I be? I was waiting for you to come back from the meeting. So how was it? What did you captains discuss?" Ichigo's heart tensed. He didn't want to keep secrets from Rukia, yet he a gut feeling that he was going to tell her would break her heart.

"Well? What happened? Don't keep secrets from me Ichigo!" Rukia scolded him.

"Alright, I'll tell you everything that happened. But what you're going to here isn't going to be easy to bear," Ichigo said. He gave Rukia an account of the captain's meeting, without much of Unohana's long winded story. When he finished, Ichigo noticed Rukia's hands were trembling. She was both frightened and shell-shocked.

"I, I don't believe it..." she murmured. "Kaien-chan has been taken-to Jigoku?" Ichigo nodded.

"The one who abducted him is apparently the son of Enma Daio. I don't know what his purpose is, but I suspect it has something to with raising an army of demons for a possible invasion of Soul Society."

"What are we going to do Ichigo? Did you come up with a plan at the meeting?"

"I'm afraid not. We discussed a few specific ideas, namely sending a task force of Captains and Lieutenants down to Jigoku on a retrieval mission. But none of the other captains have been willing to volunteer and more importantly, the Sotaicho is still looking for a portal to Jigoku that is still open." Ichigo's response caused Rukia to contemplate for a moment.

"Ichigo, if you plan on rescuing Kaien, then I'm definitely going with you," she said.

"Of course," Ichigo nodded.

_Tenth division captain's office_

"Are you thinking of going Taicho?" Tenth division Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku asked as she drank sake out of a beer jar. Her captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, stared at a memo he had received from the Sotaicho. He gave Matsumoto a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"Assuming the information I've been given is true, there is a slight chance I can establish a communication link to Jigoku," Hitsugaya.

"Do I have to go with you?"

"Yes, I'm going need your help on this mission Matsumoto."

"I want to go too Shiro-chan!" Hinamori Momo suddenly burst into the office. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto looked at her with stunned faces.

"You can't be serious," Hitsugaya said in disbelief.

"I heard everything that you and Matsumoto-san discussed," Hinamori said. "I don't want to be left behind...take me down to Jigoku with you!"

"No Momo-chan! It's far too dangerous for you. You'd die if you followed us down there. Besides, I need someone I can trust to keep charge of the division whilst Matsumoto and I are gone. There's no one more reliable than you." Hinamori took in Hitsugaya's words but found them too hard to bear. Unable to control her emotions she wrapped her arms around Hitsugaya as tears flowed from her eyes.

"I, I don't know what to do if both of you are gone," Hinamori sobbed. What if I never see you again? I've already suffered one shattered heart when Aizen Taicho betrayed me, but the pain and anguish from that time would be nothing if you were to die." As her head rested against his chest Hinamori recalled images of Hitsugaya and herself from the past. When the two of them lived with his grandmother, when Hinamori was accepted into the Academy, when Hitsugaya followed her lead several years later, and more recently, when he nursed her back from a catatonic state.

"From the time when we just kids you've almost been there for me, even when I was infatuated with Aizen Taicho. You gave me a reason to live when my whole world view was shattered. I may have loved Aizen Taicho before but you're everything to me Shiro-chan."

Though he was touched by her words, Hitsugaya knew he had to respond in a harsh manner. He grabbed hold of her hands and held them tightly together.

"I'm well aware of your feelings for me Momo-chan, and I am also aware of how precious you are to me," Hitsugaya said. "But I also know that you are a strong woman. Instead of fearing that I'll die, what don't you pray for my safe return?" Hinamori froze for a moment, but when she saw the confident smile on Hitsugaya's face, her doubts faded.

"Alright then, I won't be worried for your safety anymore Shiro-kun," she smiled. "Instead I want to give you this." She took off the necklace she was wearing and handed it to Hitsugaya. As he stared at the necklace, Hitsugaya's eyes widened in surprise.

"Momo, this is..."

"It's the necklace you gave me when you joined the Shinou Academy, remember? It was a gift from your Oba-san and you told me to give it back to you when you graduated. By the time you entered the Gotei 13, I had forgotten about your promise."

"Wow this is such a gorgeous necklace Taicho," Matsumoto fawned over the necklace.

"Thank you for giving me this Momo. I'll swear that I'll return this to you when we get back," Hitsugaya said.

_Eleventh Division captain's office_

"Are you going Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked as she bounced on a soft leather chair.

"Of course," the Eleventh Division Captain Zaraki Kenpachi replied. He was itching with excitement at the prospect of an actual combat mission where he could kill people. Ever since the end of the Heavenly War he lost some of his will to fight as the rest of Soul Society became more interested in politics instead. Kenpachi unsheathed his six foot long razor sharp Katana from its scabbard and inspected it.

"It's been a long while since I've had any action at all. I can't wait to try my sword against the demons from Hell!" Just then the door to his opened and Ikkaku and Yumichika came running in. The two of them bowed before their captain.

"Taicho, we've heard about the mission to Jigoku," Ikkaku said.

"And we want to come with you!" Yumichika shouted. Kenpachi considered their requests. Ikkaku and Yumichika eagerly awaited his response.

"It can't be helped then..." Kenpachi sighed. "Alright, you can come with me Ikkaku, but you Yumichika will need to stay behind."

"What?" Yumichika asked in complete shock. "But why Taicho? Ikkaku never goes without me being alongside him!"

"Sotaicho's rules. Only those who are Lieutenant level or above can join the expeditionary force. Also, I need someone I can trust to run this rabble of a place until we get back." Yumichika tried to protest but Ikkaku gripped his shoulder.

"It's fine Yumichika. I will go with Zaraki Taicho and fight alongside him," Ikkaku said. Yumichika swallowed his group and accepted the captain's decision.

Over the next few days the captains and lieutenants who wished to take part in the reconnaissance mission to Jigoku sent in their requests to the Head Captain. Another captains meeting was held to decide the final composition of the team. A few hours after the meeting ended, the participating captains and lieutenants received a message detailing their Unohana's orders.

"It's finally here," Ichigo said. He glanced at his pager just as he and Rukia were eating dinner back at the Shiba manor with their daughter Masaki.

"So apart from us, who else will be part of the team?" Rukia asked.

"Renji, Lisa, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Kenpachi, Yachiru, Ikkaku and Hisagi, those are the people who will be accompanying us," Ichigo said.

"Huh? Why are Ikkaku and Hisagi coming along?"

"Unohana-san wanted two non-captains to be part of the team as insurance. She specifically told them that they were to return from Jigoku and report on what we find even if the rest of us don't make it out of there."

"I see. That's smart thinking from the Sotaicho..." Rukia suddenly speaking and stared at Masaki. So did Ichigo. The two of them realized that she had overheard everything they had said. And what she had heard must have confused and frightened her.

"Kaa-san, Baa-san, are you going to save Onii-chan?" Masaki asked. Ichigo hesitated in answering. He didn't want to break Masaki's heart but he knew he couldn't keep the truth from her for long.

"Why don't we just tell her Ichigo? If she understands what we're going to do she won't feel so bad," Rukia said.

"Alright," Ichigo sighed heavily before staring Masaki in the eyes. "Yes, we're going to save Kaien, sweetheart. We'll beat up whoever kidnapped him and we'll bring him back here." For a moment, it seemed like Masaki understood Ichigo's message. But then she said something totally shocked both Ichigo and Rukia.

"Kaa-san, Baa-san, I want to go with you!" Masaki shouted.

"No you cannot!" Ichigo scolded her.

"Why not? I want to save Onii-chan too!" Masaki protested.

"Let me handle this Ichigo," Rukia laid her hands on Masaki's shoulders. "My dear, I know how you feel. We all want to rescue Kaien. But the place we're going to now is no place for a child. It's going to be dangerous even for us. I don't know if we could protect you, and if you were to die, both Kaa-san and I would suffer unbearable emotional trauma."

"But, but, what if you're gone a long time? I'll be all alone and lonely by myself!" Masaki whimpered. Rukia was at a loss in trying to calm her down.

"I know what we can do," Ichigo said. "How about we take Masaki to Tokyo City? She can stay with Karin and Yuzu until we get back and we can ask Uryu and Chad about a possible entrance to Jigoku."

"That's a really good idea Ichigo. Why didn't I think of that?" Rukia chuckled. "How about it sweetheart? Do you want to see Karin-san and Yuzu-san?" Upon hearing their names Masaki became extremely excited at the prospect of visiting Karin and Yuzu.

_Shibuya ward, Tokyo City_

Ichigo, Rukia and Masaki stepped through the Seireimon gate and found themselves in the middle of a busy street in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo. As they expected the entire place was bustling with activity. The street itself was clogged with cars of all shapes and sizes whilst the pedestrian walkways were filled with people either checking out the multitude of shops which lined both sides of the street or simply walking by.

"It's been a long time since we've been here," Rukia said. "I've forgotten what it is like to be in a human city."

"Is this the real world, Baa-san?" Masaki asked.

"Yes dear, we are in the real world."

"This is so exciting! I want to go shopping!" Masaki giggled.

"We're in a hurry Masaki-chan. We have to visit Karin and Yuzu first," Ichigo said to his daughter. Masaki grudgingly followed her parents through the streets of Shibuya as Ichigo and Rukia searched for Karin and Yuzu's place of residence. As they were still in their Konpaku forms they could not be seen by regular humans. However, the status of Tokyo as the greatest Jureichi hotspot in the real world meant there thousands of spiritually aware humans who could see spirits.

The three of them tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible as they shifted through the crowd. After walking a fair distance Ichigo finally managed to locate Karin and Yuzu's reiatsu signature.

"I've got them. They appear to be living at this...place," Ichigo said. They stood in front of a two-story apartment that had a familiar feel to it.

"Hey this looks like your old family home," Rukia whispered to Ichigo.

"Yeah I know." Ichigo pressed the front door bell. A short while later the door opened. Standing in the door way were Karin and Yuzu. Ichigo was surprised at their appearances. Karin's hair had grown well past her shoulder whilst Yuzu's hair had been dyed blonde. The two of them were overwhelmed with joy at seeing Ichigo and Rukia again.

"Ichi-nii, Rukia-san, it's been ages since we've seen you!" Yuzu squealed.

"I guess it has. Wow, both of you look totally different," Ichigo commented.

"Actually these are just our gigais. Our Konpakus haven't changed much," Karin said. Karin's eyes caught sight of Masaki, who had been trying to hide behind her father.

"Oh my god, is that little Masaki-chan?" Karin asked.

"You're joking Karin! She looks so cute!!" Yuzu giggled. "Come here darling, don't be scared." Yuzu bent down and held out her arms. After a little encouragement from Rukia, Masaki finally walked forward and received a hug from Yuzu.

"So what brings you here Ichi-nii?" Karin asked.

"Rukia and I are actually on a top secret mission," Ichigo replied. "We need to contact Uryu and Chad. But first of all is it okay if we leave Masaki with you? She isn't safe in Seireitei anymore so we thought the safest place for her would be here."

"Hey, we'll be happy to take care of Masaki-chan," Yuzu said.

"Is it possible for you to tell us a little about this mission of yours?" Karin asked. Ichigo looked at Rukia who gave him a hand gesture. Ichigo sighed deeply.

"We can't tell you the details but I can tell you what our objective is," Ichigo said. "Listen carefully, you're not going to like this. Our son Kaien has been abducted by an assailant and we are on a mission to retrieve him." Karin and Yuzu were both utterly shocked.

"We don't have time to discuss things further. Take care of Masaki for us, okay?" Karin and Yuzu nodded hesitantly as Ichigo and Rukia gave their daughter their assurances that they would return soon.

"How are you feeling?" Ichigo asked Rukia as the two of them Shunpo-ed through the streets of Shibuya ward in search of Uryu and Chad.

"I dunno. I guess I'm a bit worried about Masaki," Rukia replied.

"Me too. But I have faith in Karin and Yuzu. They'll protect her with their lives." Rukia smiled as she followed Ichigo through the streets of Tokyo.

Half an hour later, the two of them finally tracked down Uryu and Chad's reiatsu signatures. Ichigo knocked on the door; a second later the front door slammed in his face.

"Oh my, it's Kuchiki-san!" Orihime exclaimed. In a flash she ran towards Rukia and hugged her arms around her. "I've missed you so much."

"Uh, I've missed you too Inoue..." Rukia tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Ow, you should really be careful with opening that door Inoue," Ichigo said.

"You're here too Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked. "Why don't the two of you come inside? Tatsuki-san, Ishida-kun and Sado-kun will be delighted to see you!" Ichigo and Rukia followed Orihime inside. They were surprised at how spacious the apartment was. The entire ground floor was one open plan living area consisting of a lounge, a kitchen and a dining room.

"Stay here, I'll tell the others to come downstairs," Orihime said. Ichigo and Rukia sat on the couch as Orihime ran up a flight of stairs. A few minutes later they saw Orihime walk down the stairs, accompanied by Tatsuki, Uryu and Chad. Ichigo and Rukia were taken aback by their appearances. Whilst Tatsuki had not changed much, both Uryu and Chad noticeably aged to an extent where they were almost unrecognisable. Uryu's hair had turned a silvery white; as for Chad, he had grown a thick moustache.

"Hey there Kurosaki," Uryu said.

"Long time no see Ichigo," Tatsuki added. Chad nodded.

"Ishida, Chad, you two look totally different," Ichigo remarked. Uryu and Chad were taken aback by his comment at first, but then the two of them chuckled.

"Well, you shouldn't be surprised," Uryu pushed up his glassed. "Sado and I are still normal humans after all. It's been nearly fifteen years since we've last seen each other, so of course we've both aged a lot."

"Ishida and I got married quite a while back," Orihime said. "We've now got two children, a boy and a girl."

"Are you serious Inoue? I want to see them!" Rukia exclaimed. She followed Orihime and Tatsuki up the stairs, leaving Ichigo with Uryu and Chad.

"What about you Chad? Did you and Tatsuki hook up?" Ichigo said.

"We did, but we never got around to having a wedding, let alone having kids," Chad shrugged his shoulders. "I guess we're too shy around each other."

"Enough with the small talk now," Uryu said. "Would you mind telling us why you and Rukia have come to visit us? You haven't returned to the real world for the past fifteen years, so you must have some important business if you intended to see us."

"Heh, you saw right through me Ishida," Ichigo admitted. "I'll explain everything that's happened in Soul Society lately. It's a long story but please bear with me."

Ichigo recounted the events leading up to and following the abduction of his son Kaien, the revelations about Jigoku and the formation of the expeditionary force. When he finished his story, he allowed Uryu and Chad a while to take him everything he had said.

"I see now," Ishida said. "You've got yourself in quite a situation Kurosaki."

"So you need our help to find an entrance to Jigoku?" Chad asked.

"I do. We couldn't find a direct portal to Jigoku in Soul Society, so the only option left is find an opening in the real world," Ichigo said. "I've heard stories about the two of you travelling to different parts of the world and investigating spiritual activity so I was thinking that you might be able to help out."

Uryu and Chad stared at Ichigo for a moment, unable to comprehend his question. Ichigo watched the two of them whisper amongst themselves.

"Looks like you're in luck Kurosaki," Uryu smiled.

"I just happen to know of a portal to Jigoku," Chad said. Uryu took down a large map of the world that been hanging from a wall and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. Chad pointed his finger at Mexico.

"There's a place called Palenque in Mexico. It's in the southernmost part of the country. In seventh century it was one of many Mayan city states but now it's just a set of ancient ruins," Chad explained. "Palenque is the town my mother grew up in; it's also the place she and my father died. I went on an expedition to search for their graves nearly twenty years ago, but during my search I stumbled upon something far more dangerous: an immense hole underneath a temple. I felt an evil reiatsu emanating from the depths of this hole and as I investigated it I was attacked by creatures with red skin and horns. Their reiatsu was completely from any hollow."

Ichigo had listened attentively to Chad's story but he was already piecing together information from his mind. When Chad mentioned the strange creatures Ichigo suddenly remembered the monster he had encountered in the secret research facility in Eastern Rukongai.

"Thanks a lot Chad. That was exactly what I wanted to here. If I am correct, those creatures might be the demons that have invaded Jigoku. Would you be able to guide me and the other Shinigami there? I can ask the Kido Corps to open a direct Seireimon link to Palenque but we're going to need your help to find it."

"Sure, why not?" Uryu shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't had to use my Quincy powers for nigh on a decade. But I have only one condition: you must make sure that Orihime does not come along. I do not want to endanger her life."

"I feel the same way about Tatsuki," Chad added.

"That's a deal then. Rukia and I will order them to guard the city," Ichigo said.

At this moment Rukia, Orihime and Tatsuki came downstairs.

"Did you find anything Ichigo?" Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded.

"Let's go back to Soul Society," he said. As he got up he looked at Orihime and Tatsuki. "I know I am not your commanding officer, but I'm giving you an executive order nonetheless. Be sure to tell Karin and Yuzu about this. The four of you, and Shibata Yuichi, are in charge of defending Tokyo City. I'm counting on you guys."

"You've got it, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime nodded. Ichigo and Rukia left the apartment and headed for the city's Sekki-sekki generator. Located in the Minato Ward, near the iconic Tokyo Tower, the massive generator resembled an immense thirty storey warehouse building, but hidden beneath the facade was a machine that protected the city from spiritual entities in times of emergencies. Guarding the generator was a squad of fifth division soldiers under the leadership of third seat Shibata Yuichi. The brown-haired boy who had been stuck inside a parakeet had grown to become a powerful and mature Shinigami. As he spotted Ichigo and Rukia heading towards him, Yuichi rushed out of the generator building to greet them.

"Kurosaki Taicho, Kuchiki Fukutaicho, it's an honour to see you again," Yuichi went down on his knees and bowed.

"It's good to see you too Yuichi-san," Ichigo nodded. "You've grown a lot since our last orders. The two of us are heading back to Soul Society now, but before we leave, I want you to do a favour for me." Ichigo whispered into Yuichi's ear.

"Got it Kurosaki Taicho, I'll get onto it straight away," Yuichi said eagerly. He watched as Ichigo and Rukia walked through the Seireimon.

_Somewhere in Mexico, two days later..._

A large Seireimon appeared in the middle of a forest. A second later, ten figures dressed in black robes quietly stepped out of the portal as it slowly vanished into thin air. The figures looked scanned the vicinity for enemies, before one of the figures, a man with blazing orange hair, raised his hand.

"Looks like the coast is clear. Let's go," Kurosaki Ichigo said to his comrades. In addition to his beloved lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia, he was accompanied by eighth division captain Abarai Renji and his lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa, Tenth division captain Hitsugaya Toshiro and his lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku, Eleventh Division captain Zaraki Kenpachi and his lieutenant Kusajishi Yachiru, Eleventh Division third seat Madarame Ikkaku and Ninth Division lieutenant Hisagi Shuhei. This group of Shinigami, one of the strongest forces ever assembled, proceeded through the forests.

They were heading towards the ancient ruins of Palenque, the location of a rumoured entry to Jigoku, the underworld realm. As the group entered a clearing in the forest they saw two figures sitting on a pile of rocks a hundred yards in front of them. Ichigo smiled as he saw them. Uryu and Chad had booked a flight to Mexico City, hitched a bus ride to the modern town of Palenque, before making their way to the ruins by foot. They had been waiting for Gotei 13 for several hours.

"What took you guys so long?" Uryu asked as the Shinigami approached. He noticed that other than Ichigo, Rukia and Renji, the others appeared to be wary of him.

"There were delays in the calibration process," Renji said.

"Can you show us the location of this hole?" Ichigo asked. Uryu and Chad nodded. The two humans lead the Shinigami on a trek through a series of ancient Mayan ruins. With the exception of Ichigo, all of the Shinigami were amazed at the stone pyramids and other structures they encountered. As they walked, Uryu and Chad gave the group a brief history lecture, before they led everyone into a pyramid.

"This place gives me the creeps," Matsumoto said as she stared at the paintings along the walls. The group descended down several flights of stairs and walked through multiple passages before finally arriving at a vast underground area. Apart from a set of walls marked with inscriptions, carvings and paintings of strange figures on either side, there seemed to be no limit to the size of the chamber.

"This was one of the morgues the Mayans used to dump the corpses of sacrifices," Chad explained. "After they used them in ceremonies to honour their gods."

"Where did they bury the corpses then?" Hitsugaya asked.

"They threw them down the hole," Chad replied. Hitsugaya gulped. The group followed Chad's lead as they walked along the chamber. After several minutes of walking they finally saw the rim of what appeared to be a hole in the distance.

"Is that the hole you're talking about?" Ikkaku asked. Chad nodded. When they got near the edge of the rim and peered down, everyone except Chad was astonished at how immense the hole was. The outer rim of the hole was more than a hundred feet in width, but it was the depth of the hole itself that was intimidating.

"Man, this hole is huge," Renji said. "Is there even a bottom?"

"Not that I know of," Chad said.

"From what I gather, the Mayans probably thought this was a shaft to the underworld," Uryu said.

"I can feel a strange reiatsu coming from it. It's almost like a garganta," Rukia said.

"Alright everyone, I think this hole is definitely a portal to Jigoku. If Chad's information is correct, if we jump down the hole we'll arrive at Jigoku," Ichigo said.

"How do we know if we get there?" Yachiru asked.

"When we reach the bottom," Ichigo replied. He turned to Uryu and Chad. "Thanks for your help guys. You're free to go now."

"Actually, Chad and I have been thinking about it, and we've decided to accompany you on this mission," Uyru said.

"Absolutely not!" Hitsugaya barked out. "The two of you are still classified as dangerous humans by Soul Society. We don't need your help on this mission."

"Hey don't be so prudent Hitsugaya," Renji said. "Chad and Uryu have fought alongside Soul Society many times before, and without their help we might have never defeated Aizen." Ichigo was torn between following official protocol and honouring his friends' requests. After some thought, he decided to go with his friends.

"Alright, the two of you can come with us," Ichigo said. "But I can't guarantee your safety. If you die, then it's not our fault."

"Of course. We never intended to hold you responsible for what happens to us," Uryu smirked.

"It's settled then," Ichigo said. "Before we head down there I'd like to give a few last words. "Whatever we encounter down there, we shall keep together. United we stand, divided we fall. With our combined strength we shall not falter. Even if we fall into the depths of hell, we shall return to this alive!" Almost in unison, the group of twelve took a mighty leap and jumped into the hole.

* * *

Character and term descriptions:

Hinamori Momo: Was transferred to the Tenth Division twenty years ago during the war against Aizen. Now serves as the division's third seat.

Matsumoto Rangiku: Still the lieutenant of Tenth Division.

Zaraki Kenpachi, Kusajishi Yachiru, Madarame Ikkkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, Hisagi Shuhei: No change.

Kurosaki Karin: Graduated from the Shinou Academy fifteen years ago. Is now the fourth seat of Eigth Division.

Kurosaki Yuzu: Graduated at the same time as Karin. Is now the fifth seat of Thirteenth Division.

Inoue Orihime: Graduated at the same as Karin and Yuzu. Is now the fifth seat of Fourth Division.

Arisawa Tatsuki: Graduated at the same as the above three. Is now the fifth seat of Second Division.

Ishida Uryu: Took over his father's medical practice and married Orihime. They have two children.

Sado 'Chad' Yasutora : Now lives with Tatsuki. Has gone on frequent trips to Mexico.

Shibata Yuichi: Formerly a spirit trapped in a parakeet, he graduated from the Academy fifteen years ago. Is now the third seat of Fifth division.

Palenque: The site of an ancient Mayan city, at its peak in the 7th Century CE. It's now a famous historical attraction.


	5. Chapter 5: Boatman on the River Styx

Bleach: Twilight of Souls

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a Fanstory and only OCs that I have created belong to me.

Bleach Twilight of Souls is a continuation of the plot line begun in After the War and continued in the New Order Trilogy, but it is not necessary to have read the previous works to enjoy this story.

**Author note: **I'm sorry for the long wait between updates, but I would really like people to send me their reviews. I'll try to incorporate as much feedback into the story as possible. This chapter marks the start of the Jigoku Arc, and it where the real plot finally begins.

* * *

Chapter 5: Boatman on the River Styx

"ARGGHHH!!" everyone screamed as they plummeted down a seemingly endless shaft at frightening speeds.

"We're all going to die!!" Matsumoto cried out.

"Let's calm down and think of a way to slow our descent," Lisa urged the others.

"Ha, ha, ha all of you are cowards!" Kenpachi laughed. "It's better to face death head on. If we survive the fall, then that just means luck was on our side!"  
"You said it Taicho!" Ikkaku exclaimed.

"Hey, not all of us are suicidal maniacs like you eleventh division folk," Hisagi quipped.

"I hate to agree with Kenpachi on this note but I think he makes a good point. We'll have to concentrate our reiatsu and hope luck is on our side once we reach the bottom," Ichigo said.

"I better hope it is," Rukia wondered. The group continued its freefall down the shaft.

* * *

The doors of a dark chamber opened, letting in a shaft of light into a room. A short thin man with long spiky red hair walked into the room carrying a tray of food. He glanced over at the pale lonely figure wallowing in a small cage barely three feet wide. Apart from a plain bed and a toilet seat the cage was empty. The man opened the door in front of the gate and placed the tray inside.

"Rise and shine Kozu, I've brought you some food," Suzaku said. There was no response. He stared at the small boy, sitting against the side of the cage with his arms and legs crossed. An expression of disgust welled up inside of Suzaku. _Tch, why am I even bothering with this pathetic human brat?_ He crouched into the sell and tried to get the boy's attention.

"Hey, I'm speaking to you Kozu," he said. "Are you deaf or what?"

"GO AWAY!" Kurosaki Kaien shouted at him. Suzaku was taken aback his sudden outburst and fell onto his rear end.

"Why you little! I brought you some nourishment!" Suzaku exclaimed.

"I don't want it!" Kaien barked back.

"What the hell? Sure you must be famished by now."

"I'm not hungry. I don't any of your rotten food!" Suzaku was so riled up by the boy's insults that he was about to beat him senseless but all of a sudden a distant alarm sounded.

"That's an intruder alert," he said. "Who could have possible invaded Jigoku?" With a feeling of disgust he slammed the door shut.

"I'm coming back for you later. If you haven't eaten that food by the time I come back I'm going to force it down your throat!" With that, Suzaku slammed the doors of the chamber shut. As the darkness descended again, Kaien was left to contemplate his current predicament.

"Hey Kozu," a deep voice sounded from nearby. Kaien looked around to see where the voice was coming from. His eyes finally made out the figure of an old man covered with chains in a large cell opposite his.

"Ojii-san, did they get you too?" Kaien asked.

"I am afraid they did. It pains my heart to see someone as innocent as you get treated this way. Those treacherous scoundrels are definitely up to something."

"I'm not afraid. My Ka-san is going to save me. I just know he will."

"You think your father will rescue you? Just what sort of person is he?"

"He's a Shinigami, the greatest Shinigami who ever lived." Kaien's comment made the old man chuckle.

"A Shinigami eh? I haven't heard about them in more than two thousand years..."

* * *

The Jigoku raid party continued falling down the impossibly deep shaft. Just as everyone thought they would keep falling forever the shaft suddenly curved to the right. The entire group skidded along the rim of the shaft as it twisted and turned. They continued to slide along the edge of the shaft like a rollercoaster for quite some time. The slope of the shape gradually flattened and in the distance they could make out a speck of white light.

"That light...I think that's the exit!" Uryu exclaimed.

"Holy shit I think you're right," Renji added. The speck of light grew larger the closer they came to it. The intensity of the light increased until it became so bright that none of them could keep their eyes open.

"Argh my eyes!" Rukia cried out. As their eyes were still adjusting to the light, they suddenly found themselves flung out of the shaft. They were sent hurling into the air and stayed airborne for several seconds. Then with a dread inevitably they crash landed on the ground with an almighty bang.

"Ow," Ichigo moaned. He felt the weight of Rukia's body pressed on top of him.

"Heh, heh, sorry Ichigo," Rukia kissed him on the cheek.

"What is this place?" Renji asked. As the rest of the group stood up, they observed the rather desolate landscape all around them. As far their eyes could see, there was nothing but rocks and boulders, either red in corner or charred black. The sky above was covered by an oppressive layer of smog and the very air itself was filled with a faint smoke haze.

"Gosh what a drab looking place," Matsumoto commented.

"Let's see if we can find something significant," Ichigo said. The group traversed the rocky landscape, finding nothing but the occasional bone or skull lying behind a boulder. After walking a fair distance they spotted what appeared to be a river in the distance.

"Hey look, there's a river!" Yachiru pointed out. The group walked for some distance until they neared the river, which turned out to be much larger than the thought. It was so wide that they could barely see the other side.

"There's something in the distance, beyond the river," Ichigo said. The others looked at where he was pointing. The ominous haze that had obscured much of the view gradually lifted to reveal an enormous fortress-like city. It rose from the plains around it like a giant cathedral spire, soaring high into the sky. The entire structure looked as if it was carved out of the bedrock, as it exuded a glaring red hue. Hundreds of miniature lights pock-marked the structure, giving it the appearance of a beehive. The base of the city appeared to stretch for miles on all sides of the central tower.

"Whoa, that structure is enormous," Hisagi said in awe.

"It's easily over three thousand feet tall," Hitsugaya said.

"Do you think it's bigger than Las Noches?" Chad asked Uryu.

"Almost definitely," Uryu replied. "We can't see the whole city even from this distance."

"Wait a second guys, I think there's something even larger behind the city!" Renji exclaimed. The others took a good closer look. It appeared that Renji was correct. Towering far above even the top of the city's spire was a truly gargantuan volcano, its sheer slopes providing a backdrop for the city itself. Though it nearly impossible to make out, the group could discern a plume of molten fire rising from a caldera at the very summit of the mountain.

"Are you scared Rukia?" Ichigo said as he stood beside her.

"A little bit," Rukia admitted. "It definitely looks intimidating. But I also know that Kaien is in there somewhere, waiting for us." Ichigo nodded. He turned to the others.

"Looks like we're going to have to cross the river to get to that city, so let's get going." The group kept walking until they reached the river bank. A large wooden boat, fifty feet in length, was floating a few metres from the edge of the river. A figure draped in a dark cloak could be seen standing in the boat, slowly churning the water with a paddle.

"There's someone on the boat," Lisa said.

"He looks really creepy," Yachiru added. The group watched as the boat neared the river bank. It stopped at about a metre from the shore. The shadowy figure was revealed to be an old man with scraggy white hair and a long trailing goatee.

"Are you travellers seeking to cross the River Styx?" the man asked in a hoarse voice.

"Yeah. We intend to cross the river and infiltrate that city in the distance," Ichigo replied.

"I see," the man let out a low pitched laugh. "You wish to walk through the gates of Tartarus. Unfortunately, only the souls of the dead may cross. If you wish to cross, you must pay with your lives!!" At that instant, eight geysers shot of out of the water around the boat. They solidified into tendrils of water shaped like serpent heads.

* * *

Elsewhere, a pair of heavy metal doors opened, and Prince Azrael, the son of Lord Enma, walked into a room full of monitors. Already present in the room were three other individuals. One was a woman dressed in white robes and with white hair that fanned around her head like a lion's mane. Another was a thin, almost skeletal man with pale skin and short blue hair. The third person was a large, robust man with a clean shaven head and a black jacket and pants. All three turned their attention to Azrael.

"Welcome back, Azrael-sama," the white haired woman smiled. "Did you enjoy your trip to Soul Society?"

"As a matter of fact I did, Byakko," Azrael grinned.

"What about the target? Did you manage to acquire him?" the thin blue haired man asked.

"Of course. He's being held captive in a cell next to my old man," Azrael replied. "I assigned Suzaku to take care of him. Now, onto more important business; did you establish a contact with the demon king, Seiryu?"

"I have, Azrael-sama," Seiryu bowed. He turned around and pressed several buttons on the computer console in front of him. A moment later the giant monitor screen lit up and a frightening visage suddenly appeared. It was the face of a demon, with flaming yellow eyes and a skin that was more like molten lava. Around the demon's body was a shimmering aura of flames. Azrael and his comrades dropped down on one knee and bowed their heads.

"We are honoured to have you in our presence, Lucifer Ou-sama," Azrael said.

"I do not have patience for lowly beings that waste my time," the demon king bellowed in a thundering voice. "Nor do I tolerate incompetent fools. Have you succeeded in bringing me the sacrifice?"

"I have, Ou-sama. He is currently being held in confinement as we speak. The preparations for the ritual will require another four days to finish. One of my top agents is still carrying out his undercover mission. Once he returns we shall conduct the ceremony and you and your minions will step into the real world for the first time in two millennia."

"Your words please me Azrael. But the next time I hear from you, I expect the procedure to be ready, or else you shall face my undying wrath!" The demon king disappeared in a cloud of red smoke before the screen turned black. Just as the transmission ended, Azrael heard a pair of footsteps running into the room. He turned around and saw that it was Suzaku.

"What is it Suzaku? I thought I told you to keep watch on the boy," Azrael said.

"I've got more urgent news to report, Azrael-sama," Suzaku said. "Jigoku has been invaded by enemies."

"Enemies? Are you sure of that?" Byakko asked. "Who could possibly invade this dimension?"

"From their reiatsu signatures, it's a bunch of Shinigami from Soul Society," Suzaku replied. At this moment the bald man with the black jacket cackled.

"Ahahaha, this is awesome! To have a chance to confront those bastards from Soul Society again!" he laughed.

"Quiet Genbu," Azrael said. He turned to Suzaku. "I am guessing they are here to rescue the boy. One of them must be Kurosaki Ichigo. Perfect, everything is going exactly as planned."

"Are we going to stop them?" Suzaku asked.

"Eventually. But for now let us watch their progress. It will be a miracle if they make it across the Styx. Charon will be sure to exact a heavy price for their passage."

"And what if he is defeated?"

"You may kill him as punishment, along with all of the intruders." Suzaku grinned maniacally as he relished the chance to carry out Azrael's orders.

* * *

"What do you mean we must pay with our lives?" Ichigo asked as he and the others were taken aback by the sight of the eight massive water serpents that surrounded the mysterious boatman. "Aren't we already dead souls?"

"Eh, Kurosaki, Chad and I are still technically alive," Uryu whispered into Ichigo's ear.

"Shh, let's just ignore that technicality," Ichigo said.

"Ha, ha, ha," the boatman started laughing hysterically. "Do you think I, Charon, would be fooled by a bunch of amateur of Shinigami? Have you no understanding of the history of this place? All souls who pass through Jigoku are 'dead' souls. They are stripped of their reishi body and exist as little more than spirits. Any Konpaku who trespasses these lands with material bodies will suffer the fate of all intruders who have attempted to breach Tartarus, the city of the dead: complete disintegration in the waters of the River Styx. This is now the fate that awaits all of you!" With a wave of his arms, the water serpents attacked the group, all of whom instinctively jumped to avoid getting hit.

"There's no helping it then. We're going to have to beat you to move on," Ichigo sighed. He unsheathed his Zanpakuto and instantly released his Shikai. "Getsuga Tensho!" He fired a crescent shaped energy beam at Charon but ended up hitting one of the water serpents. The serpent disintegrated, but within seconds a new serpent appeared out of the water.

"What the hell? They can regenerate?" Ichigo asked.

"Let us try Ichigo," Rukia said, rushing past him. She unsheathed and instantly released her Zanpakuto. Holding it with both hands, she pointed her sword at Charon. "Tsugi no Mai, Hakuren!" A blast of snow and ice shot out from the sword. It smothered enveloped four of the water serpents which shattered into millions of pieces. Wasting no time, Uryu and Chad joined in the action, Uryu releasing his spirit bow and Chad summoning his armoured right arm.

"Licht Regen!" Uryu shouted, firing a stream of concentrated arrows at the remaining serpents that disintegrated them.

"El Directo!" Chad fired a blue energy blast from his fists direct at Charon. The boatman didn't move an inch. A smirk appeared on his face as the blast was suddenly blocked by another water serpent. Rukia, Uryu and Chad looked in shock as seven more water serpents appeared out of the water.

"Do you really think you could destroy them? My Yamata no Orochi are made from the waters of the river Styx itself. In short, all of the water in the river is under my control," Charon said. With a wave of his hand, he sent all eight water serpents to attack the Shinigami.

"If we can't destroy the serpents then let's just go after him instead!" Hisagi exclaimed.

"Great idea Hisagi-san!" Ikkaku added. The two of them jumped into the air, followed closely by Lisa. All three of them unsheathed their katanas.

"Reap, Kazeshini," Hisagi flung both of his spinning scythes forward at Charon

"Grow, Hozukimaru!" Ikkaku thrust his three-part spear at one of the water serpents.

"Crush, Haguro Tonbo!" Lisa brandished her massive Guan Dao and swung it in a semicircular arc at another water serpent. To their utter shock their Zanpakutos disintegrated as soon as they came in contact with the water. Hisagi was able to pull back one half of his scythes but Ikkaku and Lisa weren't so lucky. Left with only the blunt end of their weapons the two of them had to be knocked out of the way by their captains to prevent them from being touched by the water serpents.

"That was close," Renji said. "I guess we can't afford to touch those water serpents."

"Then we'll have to attack from range," Hitsugaya said. He unsheathed his sword. "Bankai...Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" A tail and a pair of dragon wings made of ice grew out from his body and ice covered his hands and feet.

"Bankai...Hihio Zabimaru!" Renji's Zanpakuto changed into a giant bone snake and a cape of baboon fur covered his arms and draped over his haori. Charon smirked upon seeing the sight of the two Bankais.

"Ho, so I finally get to see the full power of two Gotei 13 captains," Charon said. "I hope this will be an interesting show."

"Let's go Renji," Hitsugaya said. He jumped into the air and shot out an ice dragon from his sword. The dragon of ice slammed into the water serpents and instantly froze them. It landed in the river and flash-froze the surface of the river for miles in all directions. Renji followed up Hitsugaya's moves by charging up the reiatsu in his bone snake.

"Hikotsu Taiho!" Renji shouted. The bone snake's mouth and it fired a concentrated red beam of energy at Charon. The beam was large enough to completely encompass the boat, however, just as it was about to hit it slammed into an invisible barrier. The beam dissipated into a large explosion, and as a smoke cleared it was apparent that the boatman hadn't received a single scratch.

"What the hell happened? My attack had no effect?" Renji asked.

"Why are you surprised? A captain of the Gotei 13 should be able to recognise the countermove I just used to block your attack," Charon said in a condescending manner.

"He used Danku to block Renji's move," Rukia said, noticing the glimmers of an invisible barrier between the boat and the shore.

"What a disappointment. The Gotei 13 has really fallen in strength since the legendary times," Charon sighed. To Hitsugaya's astonishment, the ice covering the serpents and the river melted away.

"That was my most powerful ice dragon," he stuttered. "And none of us came here with power limiters." He watched as Matsumoto released her Zanpakuto and tried to smother one of the water serpents. Her attempt failed as the ash that constituted Haineko disintegrated.

"Geez, I thought that would work," Matsumoto sighed.

"Ichigo, I think there's something wrong with our powers," Rukia whispered.

"Yeah, I noticed it as soon as we got here. It feels as if our reiatsu is being suppressed by some unusual force," Ichigo said.

"It appears that all of you still have no clue," Charon grinned. "The reishi density of this realm is far lower than that of the real world, let alone Soul Society. Beings with high reiatsu like you Shinigami will naturally have less reishi and Reiyoku to draw upon. Against someone like me, with millennia of experience living in this environment, none of you stand a chance. Farewell, Shinigami of the Gotei 13." Ichigo and the others tensed their bodies as Charon motioned the eight water serpents to rise up from the river and attack. Just as they were about to reach the Shinigami an invisible air slash suddenly tore through all of the water serpents. It proceeded to smash the Danku Barrier and actually managed to cause a small wound on Charon's right shoulder. Charon clutched his shoulder, and his now bloodshot eyes looked around to see where the attack had come from.

"Ha, ha, ha, this is great," Kenpachi chuckled as he emerged from the smoke, clutching his five foot long blade. "I've never felt this powerful before. This sensation...it's almost like this is the place I belong. And I like it!" Ichigo and the others had no idea what Kenpachi was talking about, but they were impressed by his ability to penetrate Charon's defences.

"You! How did you cut through my barrier?" Charon asked. "It should have been strong enough to deflect all captain level attacks!"

"Kenpachi, I have come up with a plan to beat him, and I'm going to need your help," Ichigo said. He whispered into Kenpachi's ear.

"Sounds like a good idea. Let's get started!" Kenpachi exclaimed. Ichigo looked at Rukia, who was also aware of the plan. She held her Zanpakuto upside down and let go it.

"Bankai," Rukia uttered. The Zanpakuto started to spin and quickly turned into a column of ice and snow that covered Rukia for a brief moment. When it dissipated, Rukia emerged bearing a completely different appearance. Instead of her normal Shihakusho she now wore a pure white robe made up silk. The robe came with arm sleeves that went down to her heels, and was tied at the back with a large purple ribbon. A dense cloud of snow surrounded Rukia's body, and streams of cold air flowed from her hands. "Sode no Shirayuki Yukihime." Ichigo followed Rukia's cue by casting off his haori and gripping his Zanpakuto with both hands.

"Bankai!" he shouted. A black sphere of energy momentarily engulfed his body, before he emerged in his Bankai cloak and wielding the nodachi-like Tensa Zangetsu. Ichigo watched as Rukia commenced the attack. Waving both of her hands in a semi-circle she summoned forth a torrent of snow and ice. She directed the torrent at Charon, expanding the torrent into a blizzard that covered the boat and a portion of the river with a thick cloud of snow.

"What is this? I can't see a thing," Charon said in frustration. His regenerated water serpents searched around in vain trying to locate the targets. "I've lost trace of their reiatsu...they can't have disappeared so suddenly!" As Charon's vision and senses were disrupted by Rukia's blizzard, Ichigo and Kenpachi rushed in for the finisher. Kenpachi sliced and diced the water serpents, reducing them to water particles with a storm of sword strokes. Ichigo pointed his Zanpakuto in the direction of Charon and uttered the words "Chouseki Hadou." A powerful beam of red and white energy shot out of the tip of the blade and instantly hit Charon squarely in the stomach region, before hitting the water in a gigantic explosion. The boatman gasped in shock and pain as the force of the attack flung him backwards out of the boat.

"This can't possible," Charon said. "I've actually been defeated." He closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable disintegration that awaited him once he landed in the river.

The disintegration never came. To his utter disbelief, Charon realized he wasn't falling. He opened his eyes and saw the face of Kurosaki Ichigo staring at him.

"You! What are you doing?" he asked.

"I just saved your life," Ichigo grinned. "You were going to fall into the river, and from what you told me, the water in the river liquefies all spirit particles."

"But, why did you save me? I've been utterly defeated. I've disgraced my position and failed my duties. I don't deserve to live."

"What are you talking about? We're going to kill a defenceless old man. Besides, if you died, we'd no way of getting across the river," Ichigo said. He landed on the ground and slowly rested Charon on his back. Lisa and Rukia tended to his wounds.

* * *

As Charon slowly recovered, Ichigo and the others told him about their mission. Charon in turn explained his situation to them.

"And there you have it. I've been forced to patrol the River Styx and eliminate all intruders who attempt to cross into the land of Tartarus without permission," Charon said. "Prince Azrael and the Shitennou have threatened to execute me if I fail them."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Matsumoto gasped. "You've been a boatman for two thousand years?" All of the other lieutenants except for Rukia were equally surprised. This was the first time they heard about Jigoku and the founding of Soul Society.

"How come we weren't told about this before we came here?" Hisagi asked.

"The Sotaicho wanted to keep as much information about Jigoku confidential," Ichigo said. "The information disclosed at the captains' meeting was meant to be a secret. I couldn't keep the information from Rukia of course, and Uryu and Chad needed to know about it in order to guide us down here."

"I see now, so that's why all of you have come here," Charon said. "It's been a long time since I've had any contact with the Soul Society. How are things going over there? Is old Yamamoto-san still the Sotaicho?" As soon as Charon asked that question, all of the Shinigami fell into a state of blank silence.

"Uh, Charon-san, Yamamoto Sotaicho has been dead for more than twenty years," Ichigo said bluntly. "The current Sotaicho is Unohana Retsu-sama."

"Huh, Yamamoto-san is dead? Retsu-chan is the commander?" Charon asked. "My god times have certainly changed."

"There, I'm done healing you," Rukia said. She released her hands from Charon's chest and allowed the boatman to get onto his feet.

"I can't say how grateful I am to all of you for sparing my life. In return I will transport you across the River Styx. Unfortunately I cannot provide any help in infiltrating Tartarus City. You're going to have to find a way to get in," he said.

"That's fine with us. We already owe you a big one for offering a free transport across," Ichigo said. A large smile appeared on Charon's wrinkled face. The old man then motioned the group to get on the boat. After everyone was aboard, the boatman pushed the boat off the river bank. Using his unbreakable oar to churn the waters, Charon gradually guided the boat across the River Styx.

"Um, Charon-san, can you explain to us a little about this place?" Hitsugaya asked. "We don't know much about it other than what we were told by Unohana Sotaicho."

"Sure I can," Charon said. He pointed his finger towards the river bank they had departed from. "The region you landed in is the plain of Gorgoroth. It is a desolate region that encompasses most of the realm of Jigoku. In the centre of Jigoku lies Tartarus, the city of the damned. Spirits who have sinned in their lives as humans or Konpaku must do penance in the bowels of Tartarus before they allowed to either reincarnate or ascend to a higher plane of existence. The tower in the middle of the city is the Palace of Penitence, where Enma Daio and his court used to reside." He paused for a second before pointing to the immense mountain that loomed behind the city. "The mountain you see in the distance is Mount Acheron, the mountain of fire. It is said that on the very summit of Acheron there lies a forge of draws power from the depths of the earth itself."

"What about the green region over there?" Uryu pointed to a patch of land only slightly visible towards the north-easterly direction.

"Ah, you've got a good eye," Charon smiled. "The green land you see there is the grassland of Elysia. I don't know much about that place, save that it is the only region in Jigoku that is currently under the control of Azrael and the Shitennou."

Ichigo and the others continued to talk to Charon about matters related to Jigoku as the boat slowly crossed the River Styx. Eventually, the opposite side of the river was in sight.

"We're almost there. Once you set foot onto the river bank it is but half a day's walk to reach the city," Charon said. Everyone in the boat waited eagerly for the boat to reach the other side. Just as they were about to reach the river bank, they heard a maniacal laugh. Standing on a rock near the edge of the river was a strange looking man with spiky long red hair. Ichigo and the others wondered who he was but Charon knew as soon as he saw his face. The boatman quickly stopped the boat.

"Damn it! Of all the people to have confronted us, he is the last one I wished to see!" Charon swore. "Suzaku..."

"Ku, ku, ku, ku, how has it been, Charon-san?" the red-haired man asked. "Azrael-sama ordered me to deal with the intruders, but I never expected you to be helping them out. It's a pity. You performed your job as boatman admirably. It pains me to kill you." Charon jumped out of the boat and with a wave of his hand summoned the eight water serpents.

"Go my serpents, take them to the Elysian fields as fast as possible!" Charon shouted. "I'll deal with Suzaku by myself!" Before Ichigo and the others could react, the boat they were in turned around and started drifting towards the northeast.

"How noble of you. Too bad it's fruitless," Suzaku said. Charon's eyes widened in horror as Suzaku raised his right hand. Calling upon all of his strength, he sent a powerful blast of wind at the boat, propelling it across the water at super fast speeds, just as Suzaku snapped his fingers. In an instant Charon's body was set on fire.

* * *

Descriptions of characters, locations and terms:

The River Styx: Similar to how it is depicted in Greek mythology. It's a river made entirely out of Sekki-seki fluid.

Tartarus: The City of the Dead. It's depiction combines elements from the greek mythology and from Dante's Inferno.

Byakko, Seiryu, Genbu: Like Suzaku, they are named after the four divine beasts of Chinese and Japanese mythology.

Yamata no Orochi: The legendary eight-headed serpent of Japanese Mythology.

Sode no Shirayuki Yukihime: This is Rukia's Bankai. Yukihime means Snow Princess in Japanese.

Chouseki Hadou: Ichigo's second Zanpakuto ability. It's name in Japanese can either mean 'Tidal Wave' or 'Super Spirit Wave'.

Mount Acheron: A fire mountain very similar to the one in Dante's Inferno.

The Elysian Fields/Grasslands of Elysia: Named after the same place in Dante's Inferno. However it's depiction will differ substantially.


End file.
